Healing (Bolin x OC reader)
by MeuWasTaken
Summary: (Originally published on Quotev) Shortly after Bolin is dumped by his girlfriend Opal, he encounters an old friend (you!). While you instantly recognise him, he has no idea who you are. You unintentionally take him through a journey of friendship and noodles and as he realises who you've become over the years, the miserable earthbender's shattered heart slowly begins to heal.
1. Chapter 1

As you enter the restaurant, the familiar and delicious smell of Water Tribe food surrounds you. You look around with a satisfied sigh, making a mental note to pick up those pesky groceries and not stay here for too long. There's only one other customer here, sitting at the table in the far corner of the room with his back to you. Your smile slowly disappears as you notice a dozen small, scraped-clean bowls piled up on the table and the shaking of his slumped shoulders. He's crying.  
You glance over to the kitchen door, hearing frantic amounts of activity from within. It's unlikely that you'll get a waiter over anytime soon, so you stand there, unsure of what to do. Should you go over and try to help the guy out, or should you mind your own business and sit somewhere else? You hear a chittering noise from the table and your eyes widen when you see the bloated fire ferret draped lazily over the man's broad shoulder.  
_It's not...is it?_  
You take a step forward unconsciously, noticing the thick black mop of hair on the man's head and his green tunic. Your heart starts to pound.  
_It sure looks like him...but what are the odds?_  
"Um...Miss?"  
You jump and whirl around almost guiltily. The receptionist is giving you a strange look and you realise just how long you've been staring at the boy at the back of the restaurant.  
"I don't mean to rush you, but would you like to take a seat?"  
"Oh...of course...I was just..." you fumble, unable to think of a lie, and slowly shuffle backwards until his gaze shifts back to his work. Your own eyes slide back over to the boy, whose sobs haven't ceased or slowed. You square your shoulders and decide to take your chances, walking over to the table.  
"E-excuse me," you say awkwardly.  
When he doesn't look up, you clear your throat.  
"Um...are you all right?"  
Slowly, he lifts his head and your already rapid breaths catch in your throat when you're met with his achingly familiar eyes. Even though they're bloodshot and swimming in tears, they're unmistakably green. _So it _is _him._  
But euphoria turns to confusion when no spark of recognition lights up his face in return. Instead he sniffles loudly, dragging the sleeve of his shirt under his nose before half-heartedly nodding.  
"Yeah...thanks."  
"You're crying," you hear yourself say stupidly. _Duh, you idiot. Why don't you make him recognise you? _  
But you can't, not when he's like this.  
"Uh..._ah-choo!" _he lets out a very unconvincing sneeze and rubs the tears from his eyes before attempting a smile that looks like a grimace. "You know...stupid spring allergies."  
You raise an eyebrow. It's the middle of winter.  
"Would you mind if I sit with you?" you blurt.  
He starts to look panicked.  
"Um. Okay, look, the reason I'm this much of a mess is because my girlfriend just broke up with me." His voice cracks slightly. "I don't think I can—"  
"Oh! No, no...not like that. I just..." your mind is reeling. Girlfriend? Breakup? What in the world has happened in those six years you haven't seen him? Your gaze lands on the fire ferret, who cracks one eye open to observe you sleepily.  
"I just think it's unnatural that a guy who owns such a cute fire ferret would look this sad."  
The little creature's eyes are wide open and he stares at you in disbelief. The expression on his owner's face is almost comically similar. The only thing you want to do right now is dig the deepest hole ever known to mankind and then curl up and die. _Pull yourself together._  
"I mean...I just didn't want to sit at my favourite restaurant in the world eating Water Tribe noodles when someone else is sobbing at another table over a breakup. I'd feel like the biggest jerk in the world, and, well, I kind of know what a bad breakup is like."  
His gaze softens a little at the sincerity in your face.  
"Pabu is pretty cute," he says with a watery grin. He gestures for you to take a seat, and you do.  
"I'm Bolin by the way." He extends a hand.  
_I know. _"Kiko." You shake it. It's wet with tears and you discreetly wipe your hand on the seat afterwards. He sits back and frowns.  
"Kiko...do I know you from somewhere? You just seem pretty familiar."  
You don't know why, but you don't want to reveal yourself to him just yet. It doesn't feel right.  
"I'm just really friendly," you reply with a smile.  
"Here's the extra-large bowl of noodles you ordered, sir."  
An out-of-breath waiter dashes to the table, his cheeks flushed and his hair less than impeccable, and sets a huge bowl of something steaming and fragrant down on the table. It's all you can do to keep from drooling.  
"Would you like anything else, sir?" he asks with a quick bow of the head. You notice the way his eyes flash to the small pile of bowls littered over the table.  
"Yes. How about something for the lady?" Bolin glances over at you and you see a shadow of his old sparkling smile flicker faintly across his face.  
"Okay, but I'm paying for this one," you warn him.  
"Miss Akiyama?" the man is surprised when he notices you.  
"Hey, Tanaka."  
"It's _Mister _Tanaka to you," he says sternly before cracking a smile.  
"All right, I'll take what he's having. You won't believe how much I've been craving noodles all day."  
"You're always craving noodles," he commented before making his way back into the kitchen.  
You turn back to meet Bolin's confused gaze.  
"Friendly with the staff?"  
"I am the staff—I'm a waitress. I work every other day, though."  
"That's probably where I recognise you, right? You probably took my order last week or something."  
You just smile, not telling him that it has been years since you've last seen him.  
As Bolin starts on the noodles, slurping and sucking like he hasn't eaten in days, you look at Pabu who has been watching you intently the whole time. When you smile at the little guy—sweet mother of Wan, you've missed him—you're startled to hear him squeak so loudly it echoes. His little face brightens and he starts moving his paws frantically, getting his swollen body to move as fast as it can.  
"Pabu? What's wrong?" asks Bolin, though with his mouth full of noodles it sounds more like, "Pabu, wuff wong?"  
You can barely contain your joy. Pabu's recognised you. The fire ferret streaks up your shoulder and nuzzles into your neck like he used to do. Bolin's eyes widen at the sight of him snuggling with you like that. But for a brief moment you could swear something other than surprise flits across his face.  
"Wow! Pabu doesn't normally warm up to strangers like that. Is everyone like this with you?"  
"I guess it's just my natural charm." You twirl your ponytail dramatically, finally eliciting a laugh from Bolin.  
"That's more like it." You lean back with a satisfied grin.  
"What?"  
"You laughed."  
"So?"  
"Well, you seem like a guy who laughs a lot, so let me tell you that your smile suits you a lot more than your frown. So keep it on for me, okay?"  
Bolin blinks as if he doesn't know whether to be flattered or slightly creeped out.  
"Wait, so you came over here and endured agonising small talk to make me smile?"  
"When you say it out loud it sounds weird, but yeah, that's pretty much it. And the small talk wasn't that terrible."  
You grin and absently reach up to stroke Pabu's soft red fur.  
"Your noodles, Akiyama."  
Mr Tanaka is back with a second bowl of heaven's gift.  
"It's _Miss_ Akiyama to you," you quip cheekily, breaking the chopsticks.  
He rolls his eyes affectionately. "Be here bright and early tomorrow, got it?"  
"I never disappoint."  
"And would the gentleman like anything else...?"  
"Mm...nah. That'll be all, Mr Tanaka," says Bolin, swirling his chopsticks in his bowl.  
His eyebrows jump a little before he turns and heads back to the kitchen.  
"Man, you really like noodles." Bolin watches in fascination as you begin shovelling the food into your mouth at warp speed.  
"You're not exactly on a diet, I gather," you reply, shooting a pointed glance at the bowls.  
Bolin makes a 'fair enough' face as you pause your shovelling to gently lift Pabu off you in case he's jolted by your rapidly moving shoulders.  
You finish the noodles in minutes. Bolin's eyebrows are almost in line with the little curl on his forehead as he watches you push away the bowl and rub your stomach in contentment.  
"I think you broke a world record or something," he exclaims. "I definitely know you broke mine."  
"Your what?"  
"My speed-eating record."  
"Ah, look on the bright side. I'll never break your most-noodles-eaten-in-a-day record. I'm built for speed, not endurance."  
Bolin laughs for the second time and the sound is like music to your ears. Mission accomplished. For a moment you just sit and bask in the familiarity of it all. Sitting around discussing nonsense and laughing while Pabu basked between you both—the nostalgia is real.  
"Thank you."  
You look over at him, surprised out of your thoughts.  
"What for?"  
"I did kind of need to pull myself together. I'm a bit of a mess now, but thanks for...you know, making me laugh and all that. I really needed it."  
"Hey, it's no problem at all," you say. His eyes are nearly back to normal, bright and alert and a brilliant green but still with a hint of sadness. At least he's not covered in his own snot anymore.  
You chat a little while longer until look out the window at the sun and suddenly remember that you're not here for a chat. "I have to go," you say. "You know how it is-people to see, errands to run."  
"Oh...that's a shame." Bolin looks genuinely disappointed as you reluctantly get out of your seat.  
"We'll be seeing each other again. I'm working tomorrow. Taking the day shift. Maybe you could come over?"  
"Definitely. Pabu will be pretty happy to see you, won't you, buddy?"  
The fire ferret chitters as if in reply.  
"I'll be pretty happy to see him, too," you grin and slap some money down on the table. 


	2. Chapter 2

You arrive at work with an extra spring in your step and a strange sense of anticipation in the pit of your stomach. Mr Tanaka watches you with his eyebrows raised as you stack plates on your arms, humming a bubbly tune as you distribute them deftly among the customers.  
"You've been in a pretty good mood since your boyfriend visited yesterday," he comments.  
"Bolin's not my boyfriend, and I'm always in a good mood," you counter.  
"I'm just saying, you two sure seemed pretty close."  
"He's...an old friend. He just doesn't know it yet."  
Mr Tanaka blinks. "I don't think I'll ever understand you fully."  
You just wink and carry more dishes through the kitchen doors.  
"Noodles...rice...dumplings...sweet bean paste..." you mutter as you concentrate on giving the customers their correct meals. "...and who ordered twelve spring rolls?"  
"Kiko! Over here!"  
The voice comes from directly behind you, startling you so much that you whirl and drop the plate of spring rolls. Panicking, you swirl a large quantity of water from the small fountain in the middle of the room and create a sort of ice slide that catches the dish in mid-air. It sails onto Bolin's table, narrowly missing Pabu, but successfully not dropping any food.  
You drop a sort of curtsy as the customers clap and cheer at the impromptu performance, before turning the ice back into water and sending it into the fountain in one move.  
"Wow! You're a waterbender?"  
You turn as Bolin's eyes grow huge in surprise.  
"Guess so," you grin, though you feel a tinge of regret. You've figured out a way to make Bolin recognise you, and in your head it's dramatic and awesome. But the plan does not involve revealing your waterbending to him this early.  
Bolin is completely unaware of your thoughts as he gushes about how awesome your bending was.  
"I mean, it all happened in a second! You were all like_whoosh_ and suddenly there was an ice slide and my order on the table!"  
"I kind of had to be fast rescuing the leaning tower of spring rolls." You quirk an eyebrow at him. "_Twelve _of them."  
Bolin pouts. "Do you really think I'd eat all of them?"  
"Well, considering the amount of noodles I saw you eat yesterday—"  
"I was _going _to give my brother half."  
_Mako...I miss that moody loser._  
"Anyway, you're a waitress," Bolin continues. "Your job is to give me the food, not criticise my eating habits."  
You raise your hands in mock surrender. "All I'm saying is, if you normally eat this much then it's a wonder you can fit through that door."  
He puffs out his chest proudly and you note the old cockiness is back.  
"Well, y'know, I like to keep in shape," he says nonchalantly.  
"Really now?"  
"I used to be a pro-bender. You may have heard of my team—the Fire Ferrets. I was on the same team as the Avatar."  
_I know. _"Wow. I'm impressed."  
"Speaking of the Avatar, I kinda helped her save the world. I also took her out on a date here."  
_Now this, I didn't know._  
"What was it like dating Avatar Korra?" you ask, genuinely intrigued.  
"Oh she was smart, funny, beautiful and totally kick-butt! We...we only went on that one date, but she's really an amazing person. Sort of like..."  
Bolin trails off and you suddenly realise he's thinking about his ex. _Crap! _Your brain goes into overdrive and you bite your lip hard as pain crosses his face.  
"Look, I—"  
"Miss Akiyama!"  
You look up guiltily as the stern face of your manager appears at the kitchen doorway.  
"You're supposed to be serving these people, not carrying on a mother's meeting! Get back to work."  
"Yes, sir. Uh, sorry, sir."  
He glowers at you before turning on his heel and slamming the door. You wince.  
"This guy's the one bad thing about working at this place."  
"Does he normally treat you like that?" Bolin asks, looking a little riled.  
_Aw, he's getting protective._  
You experience a sudden flashback.

_"__...don't need trash like you cluttering up my property! Get out before I call the police!"  
"Sir, I was just—"  
You waver at the unrelenting glare the fat man throws at you, and take a step back.  
"Hey!" a voice calls from behind you. You turn and see a scruffy boy with matted dark hair and a gap between his front teeth hold a rock menacingly above his head. It takes you a moment to realise that his scowl is directed towards the man. An older boy wearing a red scarf stands behind him, looking startled. You recognise them; they're the only two other homeless kids your age. You'd seen them scamming store owners and the younger one performing acts with his Fire Ferret, but never once had you exchanged a word with either of them.  
"You have no right to talk to her like that!" the young earthbender says, much to your surprise.  
The man looks him up and down, wearing an expression that borders on disgust.  
"And you street kids have no right to sleep on my lawn! Who do you think you are, you little brat?"  
As you watch, the kid throws the fist-sized chunk of earth at him. It hits him square in the gut, but bounces straight off the abundant mass of fat he carries. He sputters in rage, his eyes bulging in disbelief that anyone would stand up to him.  
"Why—why you little...!"  
The younger boy grabs your wrist as the man begins to lumber towards the three of you.  
"Run!" he yelps. You don't need to be told twice._

You smile a little. Even now the scraggly earthbender kid has a strong desire to protect the needy.  
"He treats everyone like that. It's no big deal. He just...really likes his income."  
"Are you sure?"  
"Yep. Now eat your spring rolls before the guy bites my head off."  
You give Pabu a quick scruff on the head before turning to leave.  
"Wait!"  
For unknown reasons, you smile widely before turning back around.  
"Yeah?"  
"Do you think we could meet up in the park later today?"  
You furrow your eyebrows and Bolin quickly shakes his head.  
"No, not like...not like that. This is gonna sound really weird but I could swear I know you from somewhere. Not the restaurant. I feel like we were...friends in, like, a past life or something."  
Your heart is beating so hard now it feels like it will burst out of your chest. Does he recognise you? Apparently Bolin mistakes your expression for something else and grins sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head.  
"It sounds much weirder when I say it out loud. Trust me."  
_No, I know exactly what you mean._  
"You know, I'm kind of glad you said that. I can't do today, but we can meet tomorrow at, maybe, noon? There's something I want to show you."  
Bolin looks after you curiously as you hurry back to the kitchen. It's a little sooner than you expected, but it's time to put your plan in action.

_"__Bolin..." the red-scarf boy pants as the three of you hide behind a dumpster. "That was probably the dumbest idea you've ever had. The cops are after us!"  
The kid, Bolin, doesn't say anything.  
"I wholeheartedly agree. That was a stupid idea." You speak for the first time since they'd found you. The two boys turn to stare at you when you let your face soften and bow your head slightly. "Thank you."_


	3. Chapter 3

_Okay. Gotta make this work_.  
You look down at the small tub of coloured water beneath you and just hope that you won't screw up. You use your waterbending to pick up the tub, concentrating on keeping the swirling rainbow of colours from blending into one, and move to leave before taking one last glance in the mirror. You stop. Your hair is pulled back into a high ponytail as always, but you know that you always wore it down when you were younger.  
After a moment's hesitation, you pull the hair elastic out and your hair comes cascading down over your face and neck, thick and fluffy from ages of being bound. You blow your overgrown fringe out of your eyes, remembering why you decided to keep it pulled up all over again.  
_Ah, what the heck. It's for Bo, so just this once._

You get some strange looks, walking around with a tub of water, but it feels so strangely familiar that you don't acknowledge it. You're a little earlier than you told Bolin you'd be so you have time to set up. You look around until your eye catches the giant statue of Avatar Korra. _Perfect._  
You practice for a while in front of the statue, drawing in a small crowd with the unusual form of waterbending. Though you're a little rusty at first, your movements gradually get smoother and you feel your body start to flow with the water. As the people begin _ooh-_ing and _aah-_ing, you allow yourself a small smile. Your act always did draw in the crowds.  
You can tell by the position of the sun that it's noon. Bolin will be here any minute now. Exhaling deeply through your nose, you begin your routine.  
You extract the water from the tub in two separate streams and slowly swirl your hands until they meld together in a complicated spiral pattern. Following the rhythm of your movements, the streams part and move together, catching an angle from the sun that makes the colours flash like jewels, drawing gasps and murmurs from the crowd. You make eye contact, smile, as the coins rain down into the empty tub.  
Combining the streams into one, you focus on the children at the front of the crowd, their eyes as wide open as their mouths, and make small circles with your fingers, creating rainbow coloured water hoops that encircle and connect them, making them squeal in delight.  
And now you spot a figure far back in the crowd, his thick dark hair clearly visible as he tries to see over them. You retrieve your water hoops and shoot them into the sky in a manner similar to fireworks, a trick you've found particularly difficult to master. You see his head bob up in sudden recognition and you smile, satisfied.  
You twirl a disc of water absently in your palm as you watch Bolin struggle to get to the front of the crowd. The rainbow blends together as it becomes faster and faster, following your anticipation and the speed of your heartbeat. And then when he finally gets to the front and looks up and sees your face, the little disc sprays right up into the sky and with a flick of your wrist, it becomes mist.  
For a moment it's just you and Bolin, surrounded by the cool, moist air, so thick it obscures the figures of the rest of the crowd. You feel your hair and clothes slowly become heavy with water and watch the same happen to him. He's frozen, his eyes wide and several gears visibly turning in his head. To help his thought process, you wave your hand, collecting the evaporated water, before closing your fist and concentrating. Bolin just stares as you open your hand. Sitting on your palm is a tiny, intricately carved ice sculpture of Pabu.  
It seems like forever that you stand there staring at each other in confusion. Your heart slowly begins to sink as the mist starts thinning out. Didn't it work? Doesn't he recognise you?  
Finally, he speaks.  
"You could never do that trick before," he says, gesturing at the sculpture with his head.  
You laugh. You can't help it. The mist clears and a very drenched crowd of Republic City folk begin to grumble when they see you. With a smile plastered on your face, you will the water out of everyone's hair and clothes, including your own, and send it straight back into the tub, where it splashes against dozens of coins.  
"Just like old times, hey?" you ask Bolin breathlessly as the people disperse.  
He looks at you like he's been hit in the head with an ice shard.  
"What in the name of Yue? Tokiko?!"  
"Hey, Bo."  
A huge bubble of happiness swells in your stomach as he finally says your name. You barely have time to congratulate yourself before he has you in a bone-crushing hug.  
"Ack...! Can't breathe!"  
He loosens his hold only slightly, but your feet aren't touching the ground anymore as he swings you around like a rag doll. You never thought you'd be so happy to have your ribs broken.  
"Wait, wait, wait, let me look at you!"  
He sets you down on the ground, pure unadulterated joy in his eyes as he holds you by the shoulders and looks you up and down. It's something you haven't seen since his breakup.  
"But you were so...skinny! I mean, you were a stick! Not to say you're fat now, but you're definitely...curvy." His face changes and becomes bright red. "I haven't been, um, looking or anything. I mean, I have, just now, but not in the creepy way! Being curvy is a great thing! I just...agh, it's so good to see you again!"  
This time you can't do anything but cough as he hugs you.  
"You've changed a lot too," you manage to say once you catch your breath. "I mean, last time I checked, you didn't have that many muscles."  
You punch him in the arm and it's like punching a rock. "See, this would have hurt you instead of me six years ago."  
He laughs giddily as you rub your sore knuckles.  
"Wait until I tell Mako! Oh, he's gonna be so..." he stops and his shoulders sag. "He's on police duty. Some super important case with Chief Beifong. He told me not to bother him."  
"Well, then don't. I can—"  
"But you'll be no bother. I mean, you're an old friend, right?"  
"Right, but maybe you shouldn't—"  
"I'm gonna take you to him right now!"  
You raise an eyebrow. "We're gonna walk to the police station?"  
Bolin frowns, all the excitement leaving his body like a deflating balloon.  
"When he comes home, and when he isn't so stressed, you can re-introduce me to him," you try.  
"Are you kidding? The guy sleeps under his desk."  
"He has to come home some time, right? And if the case is as important as you make it out to be, and if Mako's still the focused, grumpy knucklehead he was before, then I don't think you should add to his load by reintroducing an estranged friend. Why do you think I waited to reintroduce myself to you?"  
"Yeah, why did you wait?"  
"You'd recently been through a bad breakup, and it wouldn't have gone down well if I just waltzed in the middle of it and went, 'Hi! It's me, Toki, your long-lost best buddy from when you were fourteen!'"  
"Well, that would have been a little weird," he admits before cracking a grin. "You always did like to do things dramatically. How did you recognise me?"  
"Honestly, it was Pabu who did the trick."  
At the sound of his name, the fire ferret pops out of Bolin's jacket, squeaking inquisitively.  
"Heya, buddy!" you laugh. "Did all that waterbending scare you?"  
"He's not too fond of water." Bolin laughs as Pabu licks his cheek.  
"He seems pretty fond of Water Tribe food. Seriously, I almost completely missed you before I saw that overfed thing sprawled on your shoulder."  
"So...you didn't come over to help a guy in need?" his laugh has a tinge of sadness to it and you shake your head.  
"Believe me, I was agonising over it before I saw Pabu. I got scolded by the desk guy because I couldn't pick my seat. But when I recognised you, well, it was no contest."  
You tilt your head. "You know, you really haven't changed a bit when you look past the jacked arms."  
All the sadness disappears from his face as he flexes his biceps and you breathe an internal sigh of relief. It has somehow become your mission to make the guy smile, and you don't know exactly how you feel about that.


	4. Chapter 4

_You clench your fists tightly, screwing your eyes shut and concentrating on the water in the palm of your hand as it solidifies, becoming colder and colder...  
"Hey!"  
Your eyes fly open and you turn around to see the earthbender, Bolin, leaning against the wall and looking at you. You take a peek at the half-formed icy failure in your hand and sigh, discreetly dropping it behind your back.  
"Hi."  
"What're you doing?"  
"Oh—just—practicing my bending."  
"I've seen your act!"  
You look up, startled. You didn't really know what you expected, but it wasn't that. "Really?"  
"You're really good. I mean, with all the colours and the swirly stuff you do with your hands...I can barely get Pabu to walk a tightrope, and I wrestled a pythonaconda for him."  
You perk up in interest, making a mental note to ask him about the pythonaconda later. "Pabu...that's your fire ferret, right?"  
"Yep. He's really friendly. Do you want to pet him?"  
"Uh..." you look over at its shining eyes and button nose and melt a little. You've always had a thing for animals. "Sure."  
Bolin steps forward and you tentatively reach out a hand. The second your fingers make contact with Pabu's fur, he squeaks and rubs his head into you, practically purring in contentment.  
"He likes you," Bolin smiles.  
"Good. I like him, too."  
"Y'know, Mako didn't want him at first. Thought he'd be a problem." He ruffles his hair, spiking it up a bit, before putting on a ridiculously deep voice. "He's just gonna be an extra mouth to feed."  
You can tell he's mimicking the other boy and your eyes quickly flicker to the figure with the red scarf still slumped against the dumpster.  
"He doesn't seem like the talkative type," you comment.  
"My brother's really a great guy. He practically raised me out here. He's just...a little rough around the edges."  
You snort and fold your arms, looking at the fountain for a moment.  
"So, what's your story?" Bolin asks suddenly.  
"My story?"  
"How did you end up here?"  
You pause and look at the skinny boy with his big, earnest green eyes and the cute little fire ferret nestled around his neck. _Ah, what the heck. Who will it hurt to tell?  
_"__Long story short, my father passed away from sickness and my mother was never the same afterwards. She passed away too, and I was thrown in with my aunt and her seven stupid kids who all hated me, blah blah blah. I ran away about a year ago and I haven't looked back since."  
Bolin blinks and the look in his eyes makes you uncomfortable.  
"Wow. That's..."  
"Cliché?" you suggest, pretending to look away nonchalantly.  
"Terrible."  
You look up and realise just how stricken the boy looks.  
"No, it's fine, really. Life on the road is actually much better than life with my cousins. My bending helped a lot, too, so I get by."  
Bolin's eyes flicker briefly to your too-short leggings that barely cover your knobby knees and birdlike ankles. You self-consciously cross your legs.  
"You know, I've seen you scamming the shop owners," you say in an attempt to change the subject.  
He looks up, eyes wide in panic.  
"Don't worry, I won't tell. I used to do that too before I taught myself waterbending. The weird thing is that I actually really liked tricking people. It probably means I'm a horrible person, but..."  
Bolin glances at Mako, and then back at you with a glint in his eye. "Wanna do a scam with me?"  
You respond with a mischievous grin._

"So, technically, you didn't wrestle the pythonaconda, did you?"  
You and Bolin sit on a bench in the park, laughing and talking your way through the afternoon. There's just so much to catch up on.  
"Well, no," he admits. "But even if Mako hadn't come in and pulled it away, I probably would have handled it just fine."  
"Sure. Against a little twig like you? The snake wouldn't have stood a chance."  
As you lean forward, your hair falls into your eyes and you go to pull it back. Bolin stops you.  
"You look more like my Toki with your hair down," is his reason.  
"_Your_ Toki?" you say with raised eyebrows, but his words send warm nostalgia rising in your chest and you keep your hair down. You're both silent for a moment and you become uncomfortable as you realise you can't avoid the topic for much longer. Bolin sighs and turns to you, and you know his thoughts are along the same lines.  
"What happened after I left?" you ask, keeping your eyes carefully fixed ahead.

_You pick your way through the alley, snickering to yourself the whole way. You've come up with another brilliant scheme that consists of a certain fire ferret, rope and a whole lot of sticky sap. Just as you round the corner where you agreed to meet up with Mako and Bolin, you hear their voices, one louder and angrier. You recognise it as Mako's.  
"No, Bolin. We can't team up with her. We can't afford to feed her as well as that fire ferret of yours!"  
"Look at her! She's barely scraping by, and she's younger than us, Mako!" this voice is Bolin's, and he sounds desperate.  
Immediately, you stiffen and flatten yourself against the wall. It doesn't take a genius to understand who 'she' is.  
"_We're _barely scraping by!" Mako's voice is full of frustration. There's a pause, and then he continues in a gentler tone. "Look, little bro, I know you like her. Toki's a cool girl. But she's tough, she has her bending talent and she's gotten by for this long. What makes you think anything'll happen to her?"  
When you hear Bolin's voice again, you feel a strange ache in your chest. It's almost like he's in tears.  
"Mako..."  
"I know. But we're already involved with...well, you know. I don't want to drag her into this mess as well. I don't want Tokiko to work for them. It's a miracle they haven't found her already, but you know that won't last long."  
Your breathing hitches and you put a hand over your mouth to stifle it. You don't know what they're talking about, but it certainly doesn't sound like fun for you.  
"I..." Bolin sniffles and it takes all your strength to keep from bursting out of your hiding place and confronting the brothers. "It's just that she's been...talking about us being a team for so long, and now I'm going to have to tell her that we're not?"  
"Bo—"  
"No!" You bite your lip hard. His congested voice and shallow breaths tell you he's bawling now. He's crying over you. "I can't tell her about them either, can I? So we're gonna have to tell her that we can't be a team because, what, we can't afford to feed her? That's a lie, Mako. You know it, I know it, and she sure as heck knows it too!"  
You take a step back, dropping the can of sticky sap on your pile of rope. Blindly, you stumble away, not even caring that they heard you. Bolin's the first one around the corner, fists up in a bending stance, when he sees your tearstained face. One look into your eyes and you can tell he knows you heard everything.  
"Who...who _are_you?" you breathe.  
"Toki...please, let us explain." It's Mako, suddenly standing beside Bolin and holding his hands out in a pleading sort of way.  
"Who are 'they'?" you blurt without thinking. They exchange glances, eyes wide in panic and fear.  
"We can't tell you that." Bolin bows his head in shame and Mako grinds his teeth in frustration.  
"I'm sorry, Tokiko, but—"  
"What else have you been keeping from me?" you suddenly burst out in a rage borne from fear. "Mako and Bolin, huh? Are those even your real names?"  
Bolin looks absolutely shattered while Mako looks defeated.  
"Toki..." Bolin took a step forward and your resolve wavers for a split second.  
"I...I need some time to think."  
You turn and walk away rapidly, feeling thankful that no footsteps pursue you._

"I regret what we did."  
You look over at Bolin in surprise. His eyes are downcast and a shadow has passed over his face.  
"Do you think you could tell me now? Who were those people you were talking about?" you ask him gently.  
"Yeah, I think so. Just...don't freak out, okay?" He takes a breath and runs a hand through his hair. "I'm guessing you've heard of the Triple Threat Triad."  
You sit up straighter, images from newspapers flashing through your head. You already know where this is going, but you don't want to believe it.  
"The most notorious bending triad in Republic City? Yeah, I know a thing or two about them."  
"Well...Mako and I, we kind of used to work for them."  
Bolin glances over apprehensively at your reaction, but you just lean back hard on the bench, piecing together all the questions in your head.  
"We didn't want to, but it was our only chance at surviving," he hurried on. "We didn't want to drag you into it. Before you met us, you were making an honest living out of your own talents, but with all the scams we pulled when we met...well, it was fun. But we didn't want anyone else to live as crooks because of us."  
"That...actually makes sense."  
Bolin stares at your calm expression. "You're not mad?"  
You shake your head. "Not really. I'm just a little sad that I didn't sit down and talk with you instead of running away."  
"I kind of understand where you were coming from, though. What happened to you afterwards? We looked all over the city for you, but we couldn't find you. Then Toza got us into probending and everything was so busy...and when we met Korra—"  
"It's all right, I don't blame you!" you laugh. "Leave it to me to run off just days before you get your big break, huh? I was angry, so I ran off and sulked for a few days, y'know, thinking things over. When I came back to the hideout, you were gone. I figured you were off pulling scams or whatever, but when you didn't come back...I thought you guys ditched me for good. I went back to my bending arts and it was like nothing had changed until one day I overheard the radio speaker for pro-bending matches. When I heard your names...well, I was pretty stunned, and yes, angry. In my mind, you'd ditched me so you could go on to become famous."  
"Toki..." Bolin's eyes are full of sadness and you offer him a half smile.  
"When I became old enough, I started jumping from place to place, trying to find a job. Some people would take pity on me and I got lucky. Like once, I was a performer for a short time, using my waterbending to entertain and become professional. We travelled around the city and it was incredible, but my boss found a new performer, a firebender who could swallow an entire flaming sword, and I had to be kicked off. Months later, after my money almost ran out, Mr Tanaka found me and I became a waitress. And thank Wan for that, because I met you all over again."  
"Wow. You've been through so much... I'm so sorry for deserting you like that."  
"Don't you dare apologise." You point a finger at him warningly. "You've been through much more than I have. You know, I always imagined that if I ever met you guys again, the first thing I'd do would be to slap the living daylights out of both of you. I was so mad for so long..."  
You trail off as Bolin winces. "But I think I was madder at myself than I was mad at you. I was mad for running off and being an idiot. I thought I'd ruined my own chances at making it big, like you. But mostly, I think I was mad for losing the only two friends I'd ever had in my life."  
Bolin puts an arm around you comfortingly and you're transported back several years to when you were scrawny kids seeking comfort from one another.  
"But when I saw you at that table, it was so weird that I only thought of the good times we had together. So it never occurred to me to slap you at all."  
"I guess I should be pretty grateful for that," Bolin laughs.  
"Yeah. You should be." You sit for a while in silence, watching the sun begin its slow descent into the west. "You know, you still haven't told me about that ex of yours."


	5. Chapter 5

Bolin looks too surprised at your matter-of-fact tone to be sad. "What about her?"  
"You've told me about Korra and Eska and Ginger, but for some reason none of them seem to strike me as someone you'd be this torn up over. Hot-headed Avatars, psycho ice princesses and shallow movie stars don't exactly seem like long-term relationships to me."  
"Why do you know me so well?" Bolin grumbles, sitting up. In all honesty, you've surprised yourself by asking about his ex, as you both have been skirting around that topic for so long.  
"You know how I told you we went to Zaofu, the metal city?" he says. You didn't think he's actually answer you, but you nod. "We went there for her. She was one of the new airbenders we recruited after the Harmonic Convergence. Her name was Opal."  
"Opal...why do I feel like I've heard her name before?" you ask.  
"Because she's Suyin's daughter. You know Suyin, creator of Zaofu, daughter of Toph Beifong?"  
"Whoa. You dated Toph's granddaughter?"  
Bolin nods and looks down at his hands. You notice he's not puffing up as usual and sit back quietly.  
"She was amazing," he says softly. "She was beautiful and smart and fun and she smelled like flowers. But our relationship became strained when I started working for Kuvira."  
"Kuvira? You mean the power-hungry dictator of the Earth Kingdom Kuvira? You worked for her?" you yelp. Bolin shakes his head hard.  
"No, it wasn't like that! I thought she was helping people. When we came to the lands she'd claimed, we were handing out food and supplies for the needy and I thought it was so great! But it turns out she was brainwashing me. She pretty much used those people for slave labour after we left, and I totally fell for it."  
"Wow. That's..." you can't find words to describe it.  
"Opal tried to warn me about it, but I wouldn't listen to her. And you know what makes it worse? Bataar Jr., Opal's older brother, betrayed his entire family to become engaged to Kuvira! I mean, can you get into a more stupid situation?" Bolin's practically tearing his hair out in frustration at the memory. "When I finally realised she was insane, I escaped and went back home. And then I found out Kuvira had captured Opal's family. She wouldn't forgive me for working for Kuvira, especially after that happened. I pretended to have both my legs broken so I could set up a surprise picnic for her...because then I realised I loved her."  
"You really do get into the worst situations, huh?" you murmur, cupping your chin in your palms as the sun dips down behind the Korra statue.  
"She forgave me after I helped her save her family, and I thought we were gonna be fine. But a few weeks after Varrick and Zhu Li's wedding...she dumped me because she told me we were nothing alike and she didn't want to hurt me. Well, I don't know what her definition of hurt was," he adds bitterly, a tone you'd never heard him use before.  
"I...I'm not sure, but I think I know where she was coming from," you say hesitantly.  
Bolin turns to stare at you, his eyes wide. "What?"  
"How long have you been together?"  
"A little over three years."  
"All right, and most of that was long-distance."  
"Yeah...?" Bolin frowns.  
"She was angry that you joined Kuvira, right? That's understandable. Did you have anything to do with her family being captured?"  
"Well, no, but that's not—"  
"Then she had no right to stay mad, and she knows it too," you say decidedly. Bolin gapes at you like he can't get words to form at the moment.  
"Your heart was in the right place when you joined Kuvira. You thought you were helping people, and Opal knew that. You escaped the moment you found out her real intentions, and still Opal didn't forgive you until you risked your life to save them."  
"T-that's what a good boyfriend does, right? Do what it takes to make her happy?"  
"Yes, but Opal wasn't returning the favour and being a good girlfriend. She should have understood and accepted your mistake before she got you to stick your neck out for her. I guess she broke up with you because she realised that she couldn't keep practically exploiting someone so gullible and naive. At one point, the relationship would be borderline abusive. She came to know that, and she broke up with you."  
You can actually pinpoint the moment when Bolin's mind blows. He slowly shakes his head and looks at you in some sort of awe.  
"When did you become a couples counsellor?" he asks with a weak smile.  
"I didn't. It's called common sense. Your brain's a little too clouded with love for Opal to understand that until someone points it out to you."  
"But..." you watch the emotional struggle pass over his face and you can read it like a book.  
"I'll let you sleep on it," you say gently. As the final orange rays disappear from sight, and the sky is bathed in a soft twilight blue. "It's getting dark. I'd better get home."  
"Is it far?" Bolin seems to snap out of a trance as he asks you.  
"It's just a street away from here."  
"I'll walk you," he offers.  
You smirk. "I can take care of myself, O mighty earthbender."  
"Please?" he looks at you with those polar bear puppy eyes, not unlike the eyes Pabu makes when he wants something.  
You close your eyes, unable to prevent the grin that spreads over your cheeks. "Fine. When did you become such a gentleman?"  
Bolin holds out an arm with an exaggerated bow and you take it with an equally ridiculous curtsy.  
"Lead the way, madam," he says, extending his free arm with a flourish.  
"Of course, sir, of course," you reply with an affected little laugh.  
The two of you stroll with your noses in the air for a few paces before glancing at each other simultaneously. Bolin's fake haughty expression has your side splitting in seconds, and you both return to yourselves, laughing so loudly that it turns a few heads.  
He pulls his arm out of your grasp and reaches around to ruffle your hair affectionately.  
"Thanks, Toki. Again," he says.  
"I don't know why you're thanking me. Again."  
"I think I would be a lot more of a mess over Opal for a lot longer if you hadn't conveniently come right back into my life again. Your perspective of the whole thing actually makes a lot of sense."  
"So you'll stop hurting?" You look up at him hopefully.  
"Maybe not entirely, but it'll definitely get better."  
"Good. Glad I could help."  
You walk on in silence for a while, Bolin's arm providing a reassuring warmth around your shoulders.  
"I'm so gonna drag Mako to the restaurant tomorrow. He won't believe it when I tell him—"  
"No." You stop suddenly and Bolin stops too, confused. His arm slips off your shoulders as you smile impishly. "You're not going to tellhim anything. You got a dramatic reveal, so he's gonna get the same treatment."


	6. Chapter 6

It turns out that Mako can't make it tomorrow, so you have to wait about a week, spending your days plotting the grand reunion with Bolin. So when the day finally comes, you are brimming with so much excitement that it affects the people around you.  
"Miss Akiyama, you have been humming non-stop, and while you have a lovely voice, it can get slightly annoying at times."  
Mr Tanaka's eyes twinkle in amusement as he watches you practically dance around the kitchen, picking up plates loaded with food and delivering them to customers like it was the best job in the world.  
"What can I say? I'm in a great mood!" you hum, sailing back through the kitchen door.  
"Is it because of that...old friend of yours?" Mr Tanaka raises an eyebrow and you stop to sigh. "Yes. He's an old friend," you emphasise before your face lights up again. "And he's bringing his brother!"  
"Is _he_ why you're so chipper?" he asks, looking like he's figured out the answer to the universe.  
"Mako is also an old friend. He just doesn't know it yet, either."  
You struggle to keep a straight face at Mr Tanaka's expression as you pen down an order for ramen.  
You look through the window, momentarily distracted. _Where are they? Bolin said they'll be here around this time. _You bite your lip as you note the position of the sun before going back to holler out the order. When you come to deliver the meal, your heart leaps into your throat and you almost spill the scalding ramen all over your sandals. Bolin sits at a table in the middle of the room, looking as excited as you feel. And there's Mako sitting next to him, bemusement in his amber eyes as he leans back and takes the place in. You watch him for a moment. Same serious expression, same spiky dark hair and, yes, there's that red scarf of his dad's.  
Bolin notices you almost immediately and almost jumps out of his seat waving you down. You catch Mr Tanaka's eye from across the room and shake your head imperceptibly as he goes to make his way over. He raises his eyebrow and looks at the brothers before smirking knowingly at you and turning to another customer. _Tanaka, I swear to Raava..._  
You compose a serene expression, allowing no hints of recognition to show in your face, before walking over to them.  
"Hello and welcome to Yuuya's Noodle Palace. What can I get you two gentlemen today?" you say, maintaining a pleasant smile. Already you can feel Mako's sharp eyes scrutinising you, and you know he's racking his brain, wondering where he's seen you before.  
"Hi!" Bolin beams at you and you refrain from grinning like an idiot and giving the game away.  
"Uh, can we please get two large bowls of seaweed noodles?" Mako clears his throat nervously as you nod, jotting down the order.  
"Will there be anything else?" you ask.  
"No, that'll be all, thanks," says Mako distractedly.  
That's when you look him directly in the eye and grin crookedly. "No worries, Scarfy."

_You sit against a wall, half hidden as you watch Mako come around the corner with a loaf of bread in his hand. Bolin jumps up in excitement and you note the proud smirk on the older boy's face as he breaks half of it off and hands it to his brother. Bolin wastes no time in stuffing his face.  
"Mm! Wurr did oo get diff?" he says, his mouth full.  
"I found it in the dumpster. It wasn't even that stale!" Mako says triumphantly as he takes his first bite. Your stomach rumbles and you hug your legs to your chest tightly. The sound is unnoticed by Bolin, who's chewing too loudly, but Mako stops ripping into the bread to look briefly in your direction. You freeze as he walks over.  
"Who's there?" he calls in a shaky voice, igniting a small flame in his palm.  
As the dim light falls on you, you raise your hands. "Relax, it's me."  
"You're the waterbender girl Bo saved! What're you doing here, spying on us?" he asks accusingly, but you notice he drops his stance.  
"Kind of," you admit as you watch Bolin come over. "I just didn't really feel like spending the night by myself for some reason."  
Why you said that, you have no idea. "Okay, that's kind of creepy, but I just wanted to know the two young guys who'd risk their necks to help someone in need. No one's ever done something like that for me," you add in a small voice.  
Mako just stares at you and you get the feeling he's about to crash your pity party and turn you back out, but Bolin, who's somehow managed to finish his bread already, looks beseechingly at his brother. Mako sighs and rips his half into half again, handing it to you. For a moment you stare dumbly at it.  
"I...I can't," your mouth tries to say, but your stomach says otherwise. Mako gruffly tosses the bread into your lap and you give in and take a bite. It's stale and a little chewy, but still feels like the best thing you've ever tasted.  
"Thanks, Scarfy," you say gratefully, swallowing it.  
"Scarfy?" Mako looks mystified, touching the red cloth around his neck.  
"Yeah. You're wearing a scarf, and I'm fresh out of creativity today, so you're Scarfy."  
Mako opens his mouth to protest, but then he stops, rolls his eyes and walks away. Bolin, however, flashes you a thumbs up.  
"I would have gone with Sparky," he suggests. "Or, ooh, I know! Hothead? Or, or—"  
"Don't encourage her, Bolin," Mako calls, effectively cutting him off.  
You smirk as you take another bite. You'll win him over. You always do._

Mako looks like he's been electrocuted as you smile sweetly at him and walk off. As the kitchen door closes behind you, you lean against it and gasp, letting the maniacal smile you've been suppressing scare off a few dishwashers.  
"Yes!" you hiss, pumping your fist once before you recapture the leftover shreds of your dignity and clear your throat. "We've got two orders for large seaweed noodles!" you call to the chefs, who immediately get to work.  
Balancing the bowls of noodles on your arms like the pro you are, you walk towards the brothers' table. Bolin is bouncing in his seat with excitement while Mako watches your every move with wide eyes, one hand at his scarf.  
"Your noodles," you say like you don't notice his stare, putting the bowls down with a crisp smile. Mako still doesn't say anything and Bolin, eyeing him for a reaction, starts looking disappointed. But then his eyebrow begins to twitch.  
"Is everything all right, sir?" you ask, feigning concerned surprise.  
"You...what did you call me?" he manages to stutter.  
You look over at Bolin with exaggeratedly wide eyes. "Is he quite himself?"  
"Only one person ever got away with calling me that..." he narrows his eyes just as you break into the mischievous grin you can't quite hold back anymore.  
"No." His jaw almost dips into the bowl of noodles.  
"Careful, that's hot," you say simply.  
"Tokiko?"  
Bolin whoops as Mako finally says your name, causing several disgruntled customers to glare at your table. Mako ignores this and whips around to stare incredulously at Bolin.  
"You were in on this?!" he yelps, not to the favour of the customers. His question is answered when Bolin raises a hand and you slap it triumphantly.  
"For how long have you known?" Mako's gaze flits frantically between you two.  
"She bumped into me about two weeks ago when I was binge eating noodles," Bolin grins. "I didn't even recognise her, I mean, can you blame me? Look at her!"  
Mako's face is priceless as he takes you in with new eyes.  
"What can I say?" you preen, striking a ridiculous pose before noticing the several pairs of bemused eyes staring at the table, along with one angry pair: your manager.  
"What did I say about carrying on with the customers, Miss Akiyama?" he shrills. "Come. I think it's time we talked."  
"I have to go," you whisper to Mako and Bolin, rolling your eyes. "Meet me in the park in two hours."  
"And you two." He points at the brothers. "You are disturbing the customers, and apparently distracting my waitresses. I'm going to have to ask you both to leave."  
You send the two an apologetic look as they meekly carry their noodles outside, before beginning the walk of shame to the kitchen. So maybe you haven't thought this whole reunion-at-a-crowded-restaurant thing through.


	7. Chapter 7

After enduring a long lecture from your manager about restaurant etiquette, along with a threat to fire you if you ever behave like that again, you finally manage to escape to Republic City Park a little later than you would have liked.  
The brothers are sitting on the same bench as you'd shared with Bolin yesterday. They both stand up as you approach them, out of breath. You pant like a tired polar bear dog, bending down slightly to place your hands on your knees.  
"Hey, sorry about the wait," you wheeze out. "Mister I'll-Be-Watching-Like-A-Falcon-Hawk was in a particularly nasty mood today."  
"It's no problem," Bolin waves a hand and you sit down gratefully between him and Mako. "It gave him time to regain his power of speech," he adds cheekily, gesturing to his brother.  
You both turn to him expectantly and he looks helplessly at you.  
"When did you find the time to become best friends?" he exclaims.  
You shrug in sync, look at each other and suddenly burst out laughing. Mako looks totally weirded out to the point where you could swear you see him slide away from you on the bench.  
"Yep, it's you all right," he mutters.  
"Oh, come on, Scarfy, why so awkward?" you smile invitingly at him, but he flinches and looks away. Only then do you realise that unlike Bolin, Mako's remembering all the bad things that happened before you left.  
"You're beating yourself up over my leaving, aren't you?" you say sadly. You feel Bolin's shocked stare burning into the back of your neck as Mako frowns. You lay a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Hey, I don't know if Bo told you this already, but I'm not mad at you and I don't think I ever was. All right?"  
"How can you not be mad?" he bursts out suddenly, causing you to withdraw your hand in surprise. "We didn't even try to find you after we got famous. Even when we had the money and resources, we—"  
"Mako, don't ever blame yourself for that!" you cut him off and make him listen to you. "Bolin and I have been through this already. You were offered a chance at an honest living and you took it. I probably wouldn't have given it a second thought either. You became known and you were busy training and then travelling to save the world with the Avatar. I think that's a pretty good excuse for not finding me."  
"How are you so...forgiving?" Mako's voice catches, almost imperceptibly, but you hear it and coming from the calm, stoic firebender, it's worth a thousand apologies.  
"I'd be stupid to be mad," you reply simply before throwing your arms around his neck and hugging him tightly. There's only a split second of hesitation on Mako's part before he hugs you back. Bolin joins in, embracing both of you tearfully, and you know it's cheesy but it's like a missing part of you has clicked right back into place.  
Mako's naturally the first one to pull away, rubbing the back of his head with an embarrassed chuckle. You and Bolin ease back into the bench and the three of you are silent as you watch happy couples bask and children play in the midday heat.  
"You know, I was not expecting you to show up." Mako says, breaking the spell. "When Bo took me out of work for a celebratory lunch I wasn't even suspicious. Which is weird, because he normally can't keep a secret to save his life."  
"Yeah, I had my doubts too," you confess.  
"Hey!" Bolin looks offended. "I'm the most trustworthy person here! Give me _one_ example where I—"  
As Mako cuts him off by listing several events where his mouth got him into trouble, your wandering mind settles on one weird little detail.  
"Guys?" you say. They glance up, Mako mid-count and Bolin looking sulky. "What do you mean, 'celebratory dinner'? Was it someone's birthday?"  
They both look at you incredulously.  
"It's Republic City's 50th anniversary in two days," Mako informs you.  
"They're holding a huge party in the town hall," Bolin adds. "It's going to be all formal, with a fancy dress theme and everything."  
You have the sudden urge to facepalm yourself into the ground. "I can't believe I forgot something as huge as that! But...oh, well, it's not like I'm going to the party or anything," you suddenly remember, shrugging your shoulders.  
"What? Why not?" asks Bolin.  
"I'm a waitress. Not an ex pro-bender slash ex mover star slash part of an epic world-saving team. Aren't only huge public figures invited?"  
Bolin grins. "I still need a date."  
You raise an eyebrow but before you can say anything, Mako lets out a sudden groan. "Chief Beifong's gonna kill me!"  
"Why? What's wrong?" you ask, startled.  
"I'm supposed to be at the police station in a few minutes, and I completely lost track of time!"  
"I thought you didn't have work," Bolin says skeptically.  
"I figured you'd take me out to a quick lunch and I'd still have time to get back," Mako replies. You narrow your eyes at him suspiciously. Something about his body language is off.  
"How're you gonna get back in time?" you ask.  
"I'll drive. It's been great seeing you again, Toki." Mako's smile is warm and genuine before he takes off, leaving both you and Bolin utterly confused. But in the second before he turns to leave, you spot his eyes flicker between you two and a small smile appear on his lips.  
"I'm...sorry about that," Bolin says slowly. "I thought he had a day off."  
"It's no problem. I guess one of the best police officers in the city would be pretty busy," you reply distractedly, wondering what that smile meant.  
You both watch Mako's retreating figure for a moment before Bolin breaks the silence.  
"So, about that party."  
"Yeah, what did you mean by 'you still need a date'?" you ask curiously, turning back to him.  
"I was going to ask Opal, but then..." he trails off when he realises how that sounds. "No! Wait! I'm not asking you out like a date-date. I'm asking you as a friend-date. Does that make sense?"  
"Only coming from you," you laugh, playfully elbowing him in the side. "But won't that cause a little, I don't know, scandal? I mean, you did just break up with Toph Beifong's granddaughter. It would look bad if you went to the party with a random waitress."  
"But you're not a random waitress," he replies sweetly. "You're my friend, and I don't care if I have to clarify that a thousand times over. I'd really like to take you."  
You feel heat rise to your cheeks unexpectedly.  
"Okay, that was pretty smooth," you admit. "When did you get so good with the ladies?"  
"You're either born with the skills or you don't have them," he replies with his old cockiness. But then he looks at you hopefully. "So, is that a yes?"  
"I, uh, can't afford a fancy dress," you say, flustered.  
"Now you're just making excuses." Bolin rolls his eyes. "What about that old dress of your mother's?"  
"My..." You suddenly remember it, stashed in a corner of your closet, and laugh softly. "My mother's old dress. That's such a conveniently cliché thing to wear to a party when you're a poor waitress."  
Bolin just looks at you expectantly and you sigh.  
"I'll probably have to let out a few stitches, but yeah, I'll go with you."  
He raises both fists in the air with a triumphant whoop and you roll your eyes. But you can't suppress the little flutter of excitement in your stomach as you think of the party.


	8. Chapter 8

If someone had told you three weeks ago that you'd be going to Republic City's 50th anniversary party on the arm of your successful childhood best friend, you'd scoff and most likely throw hot noodles in their face. But as you gaze at yourself in the mirror, you realise just how real the situation is.  
After adjusting the length and width of it, your mother's dress fits you like a glove. It's old fashioned but classically beautiful with a high, bejewelled neckline. The dark blue fabric clings from your chest to your silver-belted waist, where it flares out and sweeps the floor. Sheer, pale blue material makes up the bell sleeves that drip elegantly towards your silver shoes. After attempting (and failing miserably at) an elaborate bun, you decide to look more like yourself and pull some of it back, leaving the rest to flow down over your shoulders in a half-up half-down style.  
_Wow, _you think as you twist around to view yourself from different angles. _I actually look like a decently rich person. Thanks, mom._  
There's a knock on the door, making you jump. _Right on cue as always._  
For some reason you feel incredibly nervous as you approach the door, smoothing down your skirt and hair. _Calm down, it's only Bo. _  
You open the door and offer him an uneasy smile. He's dressed up to standard in a rather dapper black suit with gold buttons and a green vest underneath. Pabu sits on his shoulder, dressed in a tiny suit to match. Bolin's eyes widen when he sees the dress and the hair and he clears his throat.  
"Uh, hi, ma'am. Sorry to intrude, but do you know a girl named Tokiko Akiyama? Apparently she gave me the wrong address."  
"Knock it off, you goofball," you laugh, swatting him with your purse. He rubs his arm and makes a face.  
"Ow. What do you have in there, rocks?"  
"Bare necessities," you correct him.  
He grins reassuringly at you, easing the anxious butterflies in your stomach as you take his arm and he leads you to a gleaming limo.  
"Wow. Since when did you have a limo?" you ask, carefully getting into the back seat.  
"I'm Nuktuk, hero of the South, remember?" he says with a wink. "Also, friends with the Avatar. I have my connections."  
"Right." You honestly almost forgot about that part.  
"Driver, take us to Republic City Hall!" he practically shouts. Your stomach lurches as the car takes off, and Bolin looks at the expression on your face.  
"You've never been in a limo before, huh?"  
You shake your head and laugh a little tensely. "Is it so obvious?"  
"You'll be fine. Relax, he's a professional," he says, gesturing toward the driver.  
"Yeah, okay."  
He looks you up and down again and smiles warmly. "Have I mentioned how great you look in that dress?" You look across at him and his face is filled with real admiration.  
"Thanks. You know, you don't look too shabby yourself," you reply, finally managing to relax a little.  
"You clean up good, Akiyama."  
"Likewise."

Your resolve to not be intimidated immediately deteriorates as you set foot in that massive hall. Your mouth opens in a small 'o' as you recognise the people. There's councilman Tenzin and his family...Mako, standing guard by the door... Asami Sato, looking ravishing in red...President Raiko at the podium, arranging papers...Lin Beifong stands stiffly next to him, her green eyes piercing... and surrounded by a group of people is a girl with dark skin, ocean blue eyes and short dark hair. You recognise her immediately as Avatar Korra.  
You let out a loud gulp as you watch all these legendary people within walking distance of you, suddenly lost for words. You feel a gentle nudge at your side and you look up at Bolin, your eyes wide.  
"Do you want to go meet them with me?" he asks, his voice raised over the chattering of people.  
You suddenly feel terrified that you'll screw up, and shake your head. "No thanks, I think I'll just wait for you over at the snack table."  
Bolin laughs, thinking that you're joking, and takes your hand to lead you over to the small mob of people that surrounds Korra. You're too shocked to protest. Immediately, the girl's face lights up as she spots him.  
"Hey, Bolin!"  
"Korra!"  
She pushes through the crowd to give him a hug.  
"How are you?" she asks.  
"Oh, I'm just great. I've got someone here who wants to meet you!"  
You must look like a startled jackalope as he places a hand on the small of your back and pushes you forward until you're face to face with the Avatar herself. She smiles at you but you sense a hint of confusion and realise that she must know about Bolin's recent breakup.  
"Uh, hi. It's an honour to meet you, Avatar Korra...but you must get that a lot," you blurt with a nervous little bow.  
"Please, call me Korra."  
"Tokiko."  
She shakes your hand and you're slightly surprised that she behaves like a normal human being. You've read about her so much that she's become just a figure to you, just like the statue in the park. Nevertheless, her warm behaviour makes you feel a lot better. You study her and note that she's curvy, her body muscular and strong. She carries herself like no bender you've met, with the solid posture of an earthbender, the flowing walk of a waterbender, the gracefulness of an airbender and her flashing eyes that indicate a fiery spirit.  
You're roused from your reverie as you suddenly realise that Bolin's telling Korra about how you two know each other, and she listens in amazement.  
"How come you've never told me about her before?" she exclaims once he finishes.  
He begins to look flustered. "Uh, well, it never really...came up."  
She laughs in disbelief, looking at you with something like respect in her eyes. "Bolin, you are unbelievable. Tell Mako off for me, too."  
"Avatar Korra!" calls a paparazzo from the crowd, sounding a little impatient. She turns back and sighs.  
"I have to go. It was nice to meet you, Tokiko. Take care of Bolin for me, all right?"  
"Will do," you smile at her as she's engulfed by people all over again.  
Bolin raises an eyebrow at you.  
"What?" you say.  
"She's really nice, isn't she?"  
"Yeah...?" you look up at his smirking face, wondering what his point is.  
"You looked like she was about to go into the Avatar State and swallow you whole!"  
Your face goes painfully red because you know it's true. "Oh, and I'm sure you were cool, calm and collected when you first met her," you scowl at him.  
It's his turn to look embarrassed. "I was _so _cool when I met her."  
You snort. "And I'm a flying hog monkey."  
Bolin looks around, presumably to find more people for you to humiliate yourself in front of. Your gaze drifts longingly to the snack table, which is being rapidly demolished by other hungry people, when you suddenly get the sense that someone's watching you. Your eyes land on a beautiful girl in a green dress, holding a cup of punch. Her short, thick brown hair curls softly around her face and her eyes, the colour of peridots, are wide open and staring directly at you and Bolin. You've never seen this girl before, but you know exactly who she is.  
You swallow nervously and are about to point her out to Bolin when his hand suddenly touches your shoulder. You look up, startled, at his lit up face.  
"There!" he says, pointing to two people who you recognise as Sir Iknik Blackstone Varrick and his wife, Zhu Li Moon. Varrick is talking to her animatedly and Zhu Li listens quietly, looking up at him with an adoring expression on her face.  
You look back at the girl, whose eyes are now focused on Bolin's hand on your bare shoulder. She looks betrayed and you suddenly feel lightheaded.  
"Let's go talk to them," Bolin says, about to take off, when you stop him.  
"Uh, Bo..." you begin awkwardly. _How do I put this gently? _"Your ex is right over there and thinks we're a thing and you should probably go talk to her."  
_Nice one, Tokiko._


	9. Chapter 9

At first, Bolin just laughs nervously, like 'ha ha great joke, now cut it out.' But when he sees your expression, his grin slowly fades. When he finally follows your gaze to Opal, his face pales and his pupils shrink in a way that might be funny if it isn't so terrible. Opal meets his gaze and looks angrily away.  
"Oh, no, no, no, no, no..." Bolin chants beside you, looking around frantically for an escape. His gaze falls on you and his expression is pure desperation. "You're the relationship expert! What do I do?" he asks.  
"Me?" you say incredulously. "I'm not a relationship anything! I've never had a boyfriend in my life!"  
At Bolin's pleading look, you sigh. "You should go talk to her."  
His eyes just about pop out of their sockets. "Talk to her? Are you crazy, woman?"  
"Hey, what happened to 'I don't care how much I have to clarify that we're just friends'?" you ask, folding your arms with a pointed stare.  
"I can't do it!" Bolin groans.  
_You wanna play hardball? I can play hardball._  
"Okay then," you shrug indifferently.  
He stares at you, his face slowly brightening. "You're not gonna make me talk to her?"  
"No. I mean, if you want to get your butt kicked by Toph's metalbending daughters when Opal tells them about her ex getting a new girlfriend just weeks after being dumped, then that's not my problem."  
You pretend like you're about to walk away when Bolin clutches at your sleeve. He looks terrified, but ne nods, the idea of being beaten by Lin and Suyin Beifong not sounding appealing to him.  
"I'll do it," he says faintly before releasing you. You watch as he stands up a little straighter and reluctantly makes his way over to Opal.  
She turns away as he approaches her and you see him cough and say an awkward hello. You can't hear anything they're saying over the voices of the masses of people, but you don't need to hear anything to know that Opal delivers a cutting remark. Bolin persists, much to his credit, gesturing at you and trying to clarify your relationship status. Opal glances at you and you awkwardly raise your hand in a wave. She turns back to him, scowls and says something else which makes the poor guy turn beet red before she storms off, crushing the paper cup.  
"I can see how brilliantly that went," you call sarcastically as soon as Bolin is in earshot.  
As he gets closer, though, you can see just how upset he is and start to feel a little bad for him.  
"I blew it," he says miserably. "She doesn't believe me."  
You watch Opal's figure walk through a door at the back of the vast hall and make your decision.  
"I'll talk to her," you say.  
"What?" Bolin looks doubtful.  
"You stay here. No offence, but your ex-boyfriend skills aren't really up to standard."  
"Oh, and yours are?" he calls lamely as you take off in the direction Opal went.  
Eventually, you reach the door she went to and you hesitantly push it open. You're surprised to discover a fairly large balcony, bathed in the soft light of an almost full moon. Spirit vines curl gently around the bars of the railing which a lone figure leans against, her shoulders shaking.  
Your blood fizzing with the strength of the moon, you take a deep breath and approach her.  
"Hi. Opal, right?" you say softly, standing a few feet behind her. She stiffens, but doesn't reply or turn around to face you. "My name's Tokiko. I'm the girl you saw Bolin with."  
You brace for a reaction, but get nothing. "Uh, listen, I don't know what he told you, but we're good friends. Childhood friends, and nothing else. You know he lived on the streets as a kid, right? Well, so did I."  
Her sobs have ceased and you take that as a sign that she's listening.  
"He helped me get away from some guy who was yelling at me for sleeping on his property. I was friends with him and Mako for I don't know how long after that, but we were all pretty close. Best friends, you could say. But then we all said and did some things that no one's proud of, and I left. The next time I saw them was on the front page of a newspaper, and the next time I saw them in real life was six years later, or two weeks ago at Yuuya's, where I work. Imagine, meeting a long estranged friend at a noodle shop!" You laugh a little, but it fades after you realise Opal's still not talking.  
"I guess what I'm trying to say is that I'm not his new girlfriend or anything like that. Bolin's the sweetest, most genuine person I know, and he wouldn't replace you so fast."  
You wait. To your slowly rising frustration, you are once again met with silence.  
"All right then. Um, good talk," you say, and go back inside.  
You almost yelp as you come face to face with Bolin.  
"Were you standing out here the whole time?" you exclaim. "How much did you hear?"  
_Did he hear me compliment him? That would be embarrassing._  
"Not much," he replies, to your relief. "You can't hear yourself think in here."  
"Good," you say shortly, crossing your arms over your chest.  
Bolin's face falls. "I'm guessing you went about as well as I did?"  
"I would have gotten more response from a brick," you confirm.  
He starts looking he's at his own funeral and you sigh.  
"Look, Bo, if she's not ready to get over the breakup yet—"  
"I want to go home, Toki," he says plaintively. You look at him in surprise as the tears start to well up.  
"Are you sure? There's still President Raiko's speech and—"  
"I can't be here if Opal's this mad at me."  
You feel torn when Bolin looks at you with his pleading, glossy eyes. "I'll walk. You can take the limo."  
"Oh, stop it with the eyes," you say softly, wrapping a comforting arm around his waist. "I'll ride with you. This place is boring, anyway. Come on."


	10. Chapter 10

"I think it's safe to say that your moods are like the weather," Mr Tanaka says, looking up from washing dishes as you mope around the kitchen.  
"Hm? What do you mean?" you ask listlessly.  
"Well, you were all sunshine for the past two weeks and now you look like a raincloud," he replies, running a soapy hand through his greying hair.  
"I feel like one," you mumble, kicking open the door with your arms full of dishes. It's been ten days since the party and you haven't heard a peep from Bolin. It could be nothing, but you're fairly certain that it's about what happened with Opal. _I'll go check up on him after work._  
Finished handing out the meals to the first batch of customers, you're about to turn back when you spot a familiar figure sitting on the other side of the room, looking straight at you.  
_Opal?_  
You look around and decide that the whole world is against you, as there are no other waiters available. You sigh and approach her table.  
"Hello, and welcome to Yuuya's Noodle Palace," you say in your chipper I'm-such-a-happy-person voice. "What can I get you today, ma'am?"  
"Hey," she says, surprising you. _So she speaks. _"Listen, I'm so sorry for the way I acted at the party. I'm not here to eat, I wanted to talk to you."  
"That's great and all, but you still have to order," you tell her. "Restaurant policy and all."  
"Oh, okay," she complies. "Do you have a vegetarian option?"  
"Absolutely. How does a tofu salad sound?"  
"Great! I love tofu."  
"Would you like anything else? Perhaps a drink?"  
Opal winces at your cool tone and shakes her head.  
"I'll be right back with your order," you say with a practised smile before walking off, images of Bolin's distraught face flashing across your mind.  
You return minutes later with the salad and set it down in front of Opal, who smiles hesitantly up at you before taking a bite. Her eyes widen.  
"Mmm...this is delicious!" she exclaims.  
"Thank the chefs. I come back here all the time when I'm not waitressing," you reply. Her expression suddenly turns serious as she looks at you.  
"I came here yesterday as well, but you weren't here."  
"I, uh, work every second day." You look around. "Please make this quick, or my manager is going to kill me."  
"Right, yes." She clears her throat. "I believe you about, you know, not being Bolin's girlfriend. You were right, he wouldn't do anything like that. But that wasn't why I was mad."  
"No?" you say, confused. She shakes her head.  
"I broke up with Bolin because I knew I wasn't good for him, but when I was watching you two interact from across the room, it was like you'd known each other for years...which you probably have, of course!" She lets out a 'silly me' sort of laugh, blushing slightly.  
"Where are you going with this?" you ask cautiously.  
"What I'm saying is, I think you have the potential to love Bolin."  
You blink rapidly, trying to process her words, and completely lose your professional stance.  
"I...uh...what?" _Just when you start to think they're normal—bam! And you're on the crazy train._  
Opal smiles sadly. "I know this might sound crazy to you, but you're nice and pretty and funny, and you treat him well. I saw you taking care of him after you talked to me. That's why I was mad, because I knew he'd be happier with you—"  
"Wait, slow down!" you exclaim, holding your hands up. "Do you have any idea how much of a mess Bolin was after you dumped him? When I found him, he was getting snot all over the table and he'd eaten nine bowls of noodles. Nine! Even his fire ferret looked like he was going to pop!"  
Opal blinks. Apparently this is news to her.  
"He's not going to get over you, the beautiful airbending justice warrior and granddaughter of Toph, anytime soon," you say matter-of-factly.  
"I didn't say anything about 'soon'," she murmurs, but you're done with this conversation and turn to walk away. You crash straight into someone's chest and stumble backwards, holding your sore nose in shock. You freeze when you notice the shirt and slowly look up into the eyes of your manager.  
"You just can't stop being best friends with the customers, hey?" he growls, the lights glaring off his shining bald head. "You know, there's a special word for people like you."  
"And what would that be, sir?" you ask meekly.  
"Fired."


	11. Chapter 11

You knock on the door to Bolin's apartment and wait. You hear a shuffle from inside and then silence, like someone's trying to hide from you.  
"Bolin, I know you're in there," you call.  
"No, I'm not!" he replies, his voice muffled. Honestly, you question this boy's mental maturity sometimes.  
"You can't hole yourself up in there forever, you know."  
"Yes, I can!"  
You start to become concerned. Clearly, you're not getting in that apartment. At least, not through the front door. You step outside the apartment complex and walk around it, trying to find an opening. At the back of the place you see a window opened the smallest crack, with a certain fire ferret snoozing against the glass. You grin. If this is the only luck you'll get today, it'll be the only luck you need. Now you just have to figure out how to raise yourself two storeys using waterbending.  
Your eyes wander over the completely dry landscape until it lands on a large tree with heavy branches just a few feet away from the side of the house. _This just keeps getting better and better._ You've heard the legend of the swamp benders, who could control plants by bending the water inside of them.  
_How hard can it be? I mean, I've lived on my waterbending alone._  
So you close your eyes, hold out your hands and concentrate on the tree. You think deep beneath the rough bark and see thousands of veins, passages that carry water, the lifeblood of the tree. You hear a loud creak and open your eyes to see a small branch slowly begin to bend down. You approach it, and once it's low enough, step onto it, feeling a thrill of adrenaline as you raise it back up and use waterbending to get onto the next branches.  
It becomes harder and harder for you to bend the larger branches, but you can just barely jump onto them and climb without your bending. As you climb onto the final branch that's closest to his window, you're sweating like crazy.  
_The things I do for you..._  
You grit your teeth and slide across until the thin end of the branch begins to creak dangerously under your weight. You stop, and clinging on for dear life with one hand, pull the water from the skin you always carry. Turning it into ice, you reach out and wedge it under the glass. Pabu leaps a safe distance from the window and chitters in interest as you pull it up all the way.  
"What the...?" you hear Bolin's voice say faintly.  
Quickly, you melt the ice and swirl it back into your water skin, before using all your strength to hold the thin part of the branch out straight so it just barely holds your weight. It's a bizarre experience, holding yourself up. _I need to start working out._  
You tumble through the window successfully, but not too gracefully as the branch snaps back into place like it's relieved it won't be carrying you anymore. You come eye-to-toe with a pair of feet and raise your head to see Bolin's shocked expression.  
"Ta-daaa!" you say, out of breath as struggle to your feet and flourish your arms.  
"What? How did you...? The place is completely void of water!" he says helplessly, craning his neck to see how you could have possibly gotten through that window.  
"You should probably cut down that tree," you say, shrugging.  
His eyes bug out of his head. "There's no way you climbed that. What if I was changing my clothes?" he wails.  
"You weren't, so it's all good. But if you were I probably would just let that branch fling me into the north pole."  
He scowls, his ego bruised, as you brush past him and stop dead in your tracks, eyes wide.  
"Mother of Wan," you say blankly.  
The room is the worst mess you've ever seen, and you've waited on a group of twenty teenagers. Used tissues overflow from the trash can and litter the sofa. Clothes are scattered over the floor and the radio blares loudly on the table. You step closer and see that the kitchen is absolutely trashed. Cups of instant ramen are all over the counter. The floor looks like it hasn't been scrubbed in months and dirty dishes are piling up in the sink.  
"Uh...I wasn't expecting anyone," Bolin says sheepishly from behind you.  
"Obviously not," you say, turning to face him with your hands on your hips. You notice that his eyes have deep bags underneath them and that he's dressed in a singlet and shorts. "Where's Mako?"  
"Away on police business."  
You close your eyes in disbelief. "Raava give me strength. So you've been living like a farm animal this whole time? Have you even gone out to go shopping?"  
"No." Bolin rubs the back of his head and averts his eyes.  
"Is this because of the Opal incident?" you exclaim in frustration. "You've been moping over one girl to the point where you can't even take care of yourself anymore?"  
"Please don't be mad," he says, attempting to puppy-eye you into submission. "I can't handle you hating my guts too."  
You grit your teeth, refusing to fall for it, when you notice his sickly complexion. You stride over and place the back of your hand on his forehead. It's burning hot.  
"No wonder," you mutter. "You've literally worried yourself sick."  
You sigh. The situation is worse than you thought.  
"Get to bed. Unless that's so cluttered that you can't sleep in that either."  
"No, that's...that's pretty clean," Bolin says, going meekly into his room. Has he been living on his couch?  
You survey the mess around you and decide that can wait. You go into the kitchen and collect a cupful of water before rummaging through his cupboards to find a rag. When you eventually find one, you go to his room, which is actually clean, thank the spirits, and sit down next to him on the bed.  
"What are you doing to yourself?" you murmur sadly, soaking and cooling the rag before placing it on his forehead. His face relaxes as you hold the cup of water out to him.  
"Drink up before you dehydrate."  
He obliges and drinks the whole thing like a thirsty camel yak before putting his head back on the pillow.  
"I wonder what would have happened if I didn't decide to come check on you," you muse. "Do you have anything other than instant ramen in your kitchen?"  
"No..."  
"I guess we'll have to work with that, then."  
You go back to the kitchen to heat up the soupy ramen before giving it to Bolin, who wolfs it down.  
"Thanks, Toki," he says gratefully as you flip the rag to the colder side.  
"Please. Don't mention it," you reply dryly.  
There's a silence only interrupted by Bolin's loud ramen slurping.  
"So, quite a few interesting things happened today," you say casually. "I talked to Opal."  
He almost chokes and looks up at you incredulously. "You talked to Opal?"  
"Yeah, she...wanted to apologise for acting like a jerk." You decide not to tell him any of the other weird things she said.  
"And?" he presses. "Did she say anything else?"  
"Well, she did apologise about a million times after accidentally getting me fired_._"  
"Fired?" he parrots, looking stunned.  
"Are you hard of hearing today?" you snap uncharacteristically. "Yes, my stupid manager decided I was too friendly with the customers and gave me the boot."  
Bolin jumps a little at your outburst and scrutinises you closely. "Is that why you're acting like an angry moose-lion? Because you were fired?"  
You look down and pick at your nails. "Among...other things."  
"Like what?"  
"Well, for starters, how about the fact that you just refuse to get over your ex girlfriend? I come to check on you, you make me waterbend my way up a tree to get to your window, and I find you wallowing in your own snot, self-pity and ramen cups!" you shout.  
Bolin's eyes are the size of saucers as he looks at you. He's never seen you like this before. A hot feeling you can't comprehend rises in your chest as you look away.  
"Tokiko, I can't get over Opal that fast."  
"It's not that you can't, it's that you don't want to!" you continue. "You don't want to move on, so you sit here in the dirtiest apartment in the city and get yourself sick with pining over someone who literally broke up with you because even she knew that she wasn't right for you. And as for time, it's been weeks. I know I was back on my feet after you and Mako left me in that time."  
Bolin is silent, his mind churning and processing your words.  
"You know, you don't have to take care of me if that's how you feel," he says quietly at last.  
"Don't be ridiculous," you mutter, dipping his rag into cool water and laying it across his forehead again. "I can't make my merry way home knowing you're this much of a mess."  
You finally realise what that feeling burning in your stomach is. It's jealousy.  
Maybe Opal Beifong isn't as crazy as you thought.


	12. Chapter 12

You collapse into the chair beside Bolin's bed, your entire body aching and exhausted after cleaning up every last ramen cup and dirty tissue in his apartment, the latter having become far too sick to help.  
"Toki, you really didn't have to do that," he says faintly.  
"I wanted to," you reply, checking his temperature and frowning. It's gone nowhere but up. "I can't constantly be picking my way through a garbage obstacle course every time I want to get one cup of water. Speaking of water..."  
You make him drink a full glass of it before changing the cloth on his head again. You look out his window and sigh. It's almost sundown.  
"You can go home, you know," he tries. "I'll be fine."  
"Are you kidding? You can't get rid of me that easily," you say with a small laugh. "I've cleaned this whole place and even went out shopping for some real non-ramen food. Oh, and there's the fact that you're burning up like no tomorrow and can't take care of yourself. I'm making myself at home."  
You think you might have imagined it, but something like relief flits across Bolin's face.  
"Okay. Thanks, I really appreciate all this," he says, pulling the covers around himself.  
"Uh-uh. These'll only make your body temperature higher," you say, flinging them off. He curls up, shivering despite how hot his skin is.  
"If you weren't a guy, I'd strip you off and put you in an ice bath," you say unsympathetically. "It's the best way to cool someone with a fever off."  
Bolin looks horrified. "Well then, I'm g-glad I'm a d-dude," he chatters.  
You put a hand under his neck, propping him up against a pillow, before literally spoon feeding him some chicken broth. His hand is shaking way too much to eat something hot and liquid by himself, so when he protests, you just shove the spoon in his mouth. "Shut up and eat your soup."  
"Aren't you gonna eat something?" he asks.  
"I've stocked up on seaweed noodles. I'm covered."  
There's a pause.  
"Why are you doing this?" Bolin asks suddenly, pushing the bowl from him. You put it away.  
"What do you mean?" you ask. "You're sick and depressed. I'm helping you get back on your feet until Mako comes back next week."  
"You have your own problems. You just got fired from your job! Shouldn't you be dealing with that?"  
"Bo, we've been through this."  
You lean over to flip the cooling cloth and unconsciously smooth back his hair from his face.  
"You don't need to feel guilty. You're not making me do anything against my will. I want to stay here and take care of you, all right?"  
You realise suddenly that your head is still bent over him, your nose just inches away from his and your hand resting lightly on his stubbly cheek. You pull back quickly, your face heating up.  
"People get fired all the time," you attempt to say nonchalantly. "It's no big deal. I'll get around it."  
"But you seemed pretty close with that Tanaka guy," says Bolin, seemingly oblivious to your previous awkward proximity.  
You purse your lips sadly. "Yeah, I'll miss him," you admit.  
Sensing a sudden change in your attitude, he changes the subject.  
"How did you climb that tree, anyway?"  
"Like I said, I used my bending to control the water inside the tree," you say, grateful for the new topic. "It wasn't easy, but it was pretty cool."  
"No way," Bolin exclaims, his eyes round. "You controlled the tree? That's amazing!"  
You shrug. His face suddenly lights up. "Would you say you're a talented bender?" he asks.  
"Well, I mean, I did do it for a living."  
"Have you ever considered taking up pro-bending?" he asks.  
For a moment you just stare at him, your mind ticking.  
"You're delirious," you decide finally. "The temperature's affecting your brain. I waterbend for show, not combat."  
"But you controlled a tree!" he exclaims, set on the idea. "Listen, Toza desperately needs more of an audience. Ever since the Fire Ferrets quit, a lot of the viewers have left. You have potential, Toki! I bet you if I took you to Toza myself, he'd take you in a heartbeat."  
You can't take him seriously with his face flushed with fever.  
"I'm not a combat bender," you repeat, pushing gently on his chest until he lies back on his pillow. "And you need to rest. I'm not allowing you to work yourself up over this."  
He pouts. "Just think about it, Toki."  
"Yeah, all right," you say just to calm him down.  
He narrows his eyes at you. "I know you're just saying that," he accuses, which is surprisingly observant of him. "But you will consider it, mark my words."  
"Words marked," you deadpan. "Now go to sleep. It's late."  
"But the sun just set," he whines.  
When you raise your eyebrows at him, he promptly rolls over and closes his eyes.  
"Hey?" he asks, his eyes still closed.  
"What now?"  
"Where are you gonna sleep?"  
"Right here," you say, patting the seat of your chair.  
He opens his eyes to stare at you. "Isn't that uncomfortable?"  
"Not as uncomfortable as you'll be if you don't sleep now," you reply. He remains unfazed, scooting over and patting the space next to him on the bed.  
"Do you want to sleep here?" he asks with a perfectly straight face.  
"Excuse me?" you ask, your face becoming a shade of crimson you didn't even know existed until now.  
"It's just that the chair is wooden and, well...why are you so red?" he asks, genuinely confused. "Oh, no...did I give you the fever?"  
You release a slow breath. _Oh, Bolin. So innocent. So naive._  
"No. Never mind. Uh, I'll stay here, thanks."  
"You sure?"  
"Pretty sure. I, uh, don't want to get sick as well." You say the first thing that comes into your flustered brain.  
"Ohhh, I never thought of that," he says, making a horrified face. "Well, thanks again for taking care of me."  
"No worries, Bo," you reply warmly. "But if you don't get to sleep right now..."  
He quickly scrunches his eyes shut, but you remain wide awake, your face still a little hot. Pabu uncurls himself from the bedpost and scurries down to wind around your neck comfortingly. As you stroke his soft fur, you wonder why the innocent offer to sleep in Bolin's bed bothered you so much. You know very well he'd never think like that.  
Pushing the thought from your mind, you set to work for the next few hours, checking his temperature and cooling his forehead with your rag. Only when his fever breaks in the dead of night, and you finally feel cool, damp sweat on his forehead, do you sleep.

*

You wake up to the sensation of fluffiness.  
The sheets around you are crisp and smell like lavender, and you unconsciously snuggle deeper into your pillow, breathing the scent in deeply.  
Wait.  
Your pillow?  
Your eyes spring open and you sit up quickly, looking around as your memory comes flooding back to you. Somehow, you're lying in Bolin's bed. A delicious smell permeates the room.  
To your right, a tray of food lies temptingly within reach. Steamed rice, miso soup and broiled salmon, all laid out neatly and thoughtfully on little dishes. Your stomach calls loudly for the breakfast and just as you start to reach for it, you hear someone enter the room.  
"Hello, my lovely guardian angel!" Bolin greets you dramatically, walking towards the bed with a huge, warm grin on his face.  
"Bo?" you yelp, forgetting about the breakfast. "What are you doing up? You're sick!"  
"Calm down," he laughs. "I don't know what sort of magic you worked on me, but I woke up feeling so much better that I changed the sheets and then cooked breakfast!"  
"I'm touched," you say softly. "But shouldn't you be resting? No matter how good you feel, you're still a little pale."  
"I'll be fine! Stop worrying," he says. "You did so much for me. You were out cold when I put you here. It was kind of scary."  
He sits down next to you and reaches out for your tray before putting it on your lap. Seeing his eager face, you can't help but laugh as you break the chopsticks and dig in.  
"Oh, wow!" you say as the flavourful food bursts on your tongue. "I had no idea you could cook."  
"What can I say? I'm just full of surprises."  
You realise just how hungry you are when you remember you never did have those seaweed noodles yesterday. You sneak a sideways glance at Bolin, who's more himself than you've seen in a long time. He catches you looking and smiles.  
"You're certainly cheerful today," you say, raising an eyebrow.  
"I was thinking about what you said about Opal yesterday," he admits. "You were right."  
"What?" You almost drop the chopsticks into the soup in shock.  
"I was completely full of self pity to the point where I could barely live my life. And the worst part is, I was entirely capable of moving on after a while, but I didn't. Thanks for letting me see that."  
Bolin wraps an arm around you in a bro-hug, pulling you close so your entire tray almost spills on the newly washed sheets.  
"Careful!" you yelp before laughing out loud, relieved. "I'm so glad you finally understand how stupid you were being."  
"So am I."  
For a while you just sit like that, chowing down on your breakfast with Bolin next to you. Your eyes trail to the window when you see the sun and start in surprise.  
"It's so late!" you exclaim. "Was I asleep for that long?"  
"Yep."  
"Then I should probably get going before my morning breath gets too bad," you say, finishing the last of your breakfast and jumping up, full of renewed energy. "You'll be okay, right?"  
"I'll be fine," Bolin says, following you to the door.  
"Drink plenty of fluids and don't overexert yourself," you say anxiously.  
"Okay, mom."  
You wrinkle your nose. "That's weird."  
"You know, you've done nothing but look out for me since I met you."  
You lean against the door frame with a grin. "I'm just returning the favour."  
Bolin grabs you in an impromptu hug, taking you off the floor and pinning your arms by your sides. You find yourself smiling after the initial shock.  
"If you're having a hard time looking for a job, you know where to find me," he says after putting you down. "I'm still suggesting you go for pro-bending, though."  
"You're apparently still delirious," you say, pretending to measure his temperature by putting a hand on his head.  
"Whatever you say," he replies with a goofy grin.  
"I'll see you around, Bo."


	13. Chapter 13

You're making your bed in your own apartment the next week when a sudden loud tap at your window makes you jump. You go over cautiously and see a pebble hit the glass again. More come consistently until you open your window and peer out. Sure enough, Bolin stands there, almost bending another rock at your face until he sees you and smiles cheekily.  
"What are you doing here?" you whisper-yell. "It's so early in the morning!"  
"Good morning to you too, Sleeping Beauty," he replies, looking pointedly at your bed-head and pyjamas. "Come down! I want to show you something!"  
"Can't this wait until, I don't know, _after_ the sun has come up?" you groan, rubbing the sleep from your eyes.  
"Nope. Hurry up, and bring your purse!"  
"Honestly..." you mutter, closing the window. _Why would he ask me to bring my purse?_  
You quickly throw on some decent clothes and brush your hair and teeth. Despite your stomach's protests for you to stop and eat, you go and meet Bolin downstairs.  
"This better be good," you say, slinging your purse over your shoulder. "I missed breakfast for this. And you couldn't have thought of a more cliché way to bring me downstairs? I mean, haven't you heard of knocking on the door?"  
"If I'd known you were this grumpy in the morning, I'd have waited," Bolin pouts, leading you down the street. "And you shouldn't talk; you climbed a tree and got in through my window."  
"Yeah, that was after you refused to answer the door."  
"Will you relax?" he laughs. "Come on, this is gonna be good. I've been planning it for a whole week."  
You sigh. "I'm sorry. Just don't throw things at my window until after I've had my breakfast."  
"You don't have to tell me twice."  
With that in mind, you start to feel a flutter of anticipation in your stomach as you follow Bolin into an alley. Was it a restaurant? You hoped so. He just seemed so excited, and if you'd had to bring your purse, then—  
He lets out a yell and you whirl around, your heart pounding, as a gloved hand snatches the purse from your arm. It happens so fast. The black-garbed figure turns and runs down the alley and your first thought is that you have way too much money in that thing to lose to a thief. Bolin launches a boulder at him, narrowly missing him, when you stop him by grabbing his arm.  
"No. He's mine," you say, a thrill of adrenaline pulsing through your veins.  
"What? Toki..."  
"You just don't mess with a girl's purse."  
Flipping open the lid on your water skin, you take off after the thief faster than you've ever run before. He doesn't look behind him, so it's easy to spread a thin layer of ice right under his feet. He slips and falls right over, going down flat on his back. The purse slips from his grasp. He melts the ice underneath him with fire, burning a path ahead of him, but you're not done yet. You turn the ice back into water and push it forcefully against the firebender, crashing him against the wall. He looks up, eyes wide, as you fling ice shards that pin his sleeves down, immobilising him. You point several more at his throat, daring him to move, as you casually walk over and pick your purse up.  
You hear Bolin's footsteps catching up to you and he stops next to you, slightly out of breath, his eyes wide in something like awe.  
"Let's unmask Mr Stickyfingers, shall we?" you say as you walk up to the terrified man. You grab a fistful of his black balaclava and yank it off his head. What you see under the mask surprises you so much that the ice shards holding him in place melt into a puddle on the floor. He slumps down.  
"Mako?" you yelp.  
For a moment you can't really comprehend what you're seeing. His golden eyes are wide as he stares at you and there's a thick silence.  
Then Bolin starts to laugh.  
"Mako, she totally kicked your butt!" he exclaims.  
"Wait..." the gears turn in your head as Mako groans, rolling over. "You were...in on this?"  
"I told you she'd be a fighter," Bolin continues gleefully. "I told you not to let your guard down!"  
"I didn't know..." Mako wheezes.  
"What in the name of Vaatu is going on?" you cry, frustrated.  
Bolin finally turns to you, his smile still plastered on his face. "Remember that time when you were little and you fought some bullies off all by yourself?"  
Your eyes widen as the memory flashes across your mind, faded and foggy from being stored away in a remote corner of your head.

_"__Looky here, guys!" the girl sneers, stepping closer as her large male friend surrounds you. "We got a little thief on our hands."  
"I didn't steal anything!" you protest, fear coursing through your veins. You step back, only to bump into the boy.  
"How does street trash like you make this kind of money?" scoffs the girl, grabbing a handful of yuans from your pockets. You squirm frantically in the guy's arms.  
"I earned that!" you shout. "That's all I earned for a week! Give it back!"  
"Mm...nah, I don't think I will."  
Hot anger flashes through your brain and you see red.  
"You big, lumbering hippo-cow!" you spit. "Coward! Why don't you have your stupid boyfriend put me down so you can fight me?"  
Her eyes narrow dangerously. She's clearly not used to being talked back to. "Did you just sass me?" she hisses, stepping closer. It's all you need.  
With all your strength, you kick both feet upward, catching her in the jaw. She stumbles back, stunned, and the boy's grip on your arms loosens a fraction. Taking advantage of this, you twist out of his grasp and run for your life.  
"Get her! Get that little weasel snake!"  
Footsteps pound after you as you wheel into a narrow alley, swerving sharply in hopes of losing them. But they're hot on your heels. Taking a different route, you turn into the square and finally find what you were looking for. The small, dirty fountain that has been the source of your bending practice. Your heart pounds as you stand in front of it, and the bullies stand in attack position. Without warning, the boy rushes forward, moving surprisingly quickly for his size. You can tell he's a non-bender, so you swirl the largest quantity of water you can muster out of the fountain and send it straight at him. He is not expecting this and crashes into a dumpster, winded. You don't remember much after that until you're suddenly airborne. You look down and see the girl, her teeth bared and her hands held out, and you know she's bent the rock underneath you to throw you.  
Through sheer panic, you make an ice slide to somehow break your fall, but it's rushed and you still land pretty hard, sending a shockwave through your body. The coins that have been shaken from your pockets rain down around you like an added insult to the injury. She slams you viciously into the fountain and you gasp as you land facedown in the water.  
You struggle to sit up and hear a loud scream. Startled, you look over and see the girl on her hands and knees, a shocked expression on her face. You can just barely make out the block of earth that had tripped her slide back into place as if nothing had happened. You don't have time to think about a mysterious guardian angel helping you, but summon your strength and use water to slam her hard into the ground and walls, over and over again until she can't get to her feet.  
Breathing hard, you get out of the fountain, your clothes and hair soaking wet and every inch of your body screaming in pain. You collect each and every one of your precious yuans before limping over to the girl. She stares up at you in shock and you just give her a contemptuous glare before making your slow, painful way out of that alley._

"You...you were there?" you ask him, but then remember the chunk of earth that had tripped your attacker and your eyes widen. "You helped me."  
Bolin nods proudly, still smiling. "Yep. That was the first time I saw you and from then it was like I was seeing you everywhere. From performing to becoming friends to meeting you again all these years later...you will not leave me alone, will you?" he jokes.  
"It's not like I chose to stick to you," you laugh.  
"Well, I'm glad you did," he says sweetly and you feel a soft warmth rise and spread through your whole body.  
"Uh, guys," says a weak voice on the ground. "This is really cute and all, but do you think you could get me to a healer before catching up on good times?"  
"Mako!" you exclaim, feeling guilty you'd forgotten him. Carefully, you pick him up, slinging one of his arms around you while Bolin supports the other arm. You begin your slow hobble towards home.  
"Is anything broken?" you ask.  
"N-no, I don't think so. I'm just pretty bruised."  
"All right, I hope so. I'm so sorry about roughing you up like that."  
"No, it's fine," he replies. "I'd probably have roughed me up if I were you." He glares at Bolin. "You could have told me that little story about the bullies _before_ making me steal her purse."  
"I tried to tell you she could fight," he says sheepishly.  
"So, wait, you put Mako in danger so you could prove to him I could fight?" you say accusingly.  
"No, I put Mako in danger so I could prove that to you!"  
"I don't understand," you say, perplexed.  
"You told me you weren't a combat bender, but you're a natural! I really, really think you'd be ace at pro-bending," he says enthusiastically.  
You stop suddenly to stare at him, causing Mako to stiffen a little in pain. "Spirits, Bo, I didn't really think you were serious about that!" you exclaim.  
"You wouldn't listen to me, so I decided to show you. Please, please, just give it a try! Toza's business is really going downhill and—"  
"All right!" Mako says, clearly frustrated. "Toki, you'll go try out pro-bending. Bolin, you'll shut up. Both of you, you'll take me to a healer. Right. Now."  
You exchange startled glances with Bolin as you start walking again. For once, neither of you dare protest.


	14. Chapter 14

"You say she's a natural, eh?"  
Toza walks around you, inspecting you closely as Bolin stands off to the side.  
"Yeah, she...took down that thief like she'd done it a million times before."  
"Where's this thief now?"  
"He's...uh...under Chief Beifong's custody?"  
You suppress a smile. Well, he's not lying. You came here directly after dropping the said thief off at a reputable healer's hut.  
"Eh, I've seen fitter people. But it's nothing we can't work with," Toza mutters. "I'm desperate, kid. I've had people lining up to try out pro-bending since the Fire Ferrets quit, and none of them are good enough. But I've never had an ex-Fire Ferret bring me someone."  
He frowns and for a moment you're sure you'll be dismissed.  
"Tokiko, right? Show me what you got," he says finally.  
"And, uh, how exactly do I do that?" you ask nervously.  
"There's water there and there." He points to two large vases almost your height, filled to the brim with water. "There's earth there and there." He gestures to the stacks of earth discs in the corner.  
"You're not suggesting...?"  
"Spar him. We'll see what you're really made of."  
You exchange shocked glances with Bolin.  
"Me? Spar the earthbending professional? Right now? Doesn't that seem a little unfair?" you ask incredulously.  
"Look, kid, unless you want to spar me, you got no other choice."  
You gulp as Bolin gets into bending stance.  
"Don't worry, I'll go easy on you," he says with a reassuring grin.  
You take your own stance, holding the water at the ready. "Is there anything I need to know? Rules, for instance?"  
"Uh, we're not really in the ring," Bolin says thoughtfully. "But for now, no unnecessary roughage and no ice."  
"Got it."  
"Spar!" Toza calls, and you're off.  
You start by sending a stream of water at Bolin's chest, which he easily blocks and counters by sending two discs straight at you. You dodge them narrowly, your heart pounding.  
"I thought you said you'd go easy!" you yelp.  
"I am!"  
You glance at Toza and see how unimpressed he looks so far, and your resolve to get into this business strengthens a little. After all, what have you got to lose?  
You block the next few discs with water and send them back. Bolin catches them easily with a grin. You realise that brute force is no use against an earthbender, so you turn to strategy. You send a stream of water at his midsection again and as you expected, he raises a disc to block it. At the last second, you tweak the stream upwards and back around, literally knocking him off his feet. He lets out a surprised yell as he falls on his butt, the disc breaking just inches away from his head.  
Triumphantly, you turn to Toza and his expression is wholly different, like he's seeing you with new eyes.  
"So we got ourselves a strategist," he says approvingly.  
"I was going easy," protests Bolin. He stands up and takes off his soaking wet shirt. Underneath it, he's only wearing a skintight white singlet that shows off every contour of his well-muscled body. You raise an eyebrow, but you're fighting to keep your eyes on his face.  
"Is that really necessary?" you ask coolly, taking your stance again.  
"Can't fight in a wet shirt," he shrugs. "Also, I need to distract you so you can't use any more sneaky waterbending techniques on me."  
He catches your eye and winks. You try to keep your gaze above his neck, your face impassive.  
"Looks like I haven't hurt your ego too badly," you remark. "Sorry, pretty boy, but I'm not that easily sidetracked."  
Without warning, he sends two discs at you and you dodge them, full of renewed confidence in your abilities. You shatter the discs with your forceful streams and aim your water at Bolin's feet, trying to slip him up. He moves past it so easily it's almost insulting and sends more discs at different angles around you, making it difficult to dodge and block them all at the same time.  
"Are you trying to kill me?" you grit out as you're pushed further into the corner.  
"Are you trying to get killed?" Bolin hits back. "Come on, Toki, on your feet!"  
You mimic his technique by making the water into little discs and sending them at him. Toza raises his eyebrows as he watches you with interest. Bolin performs a series of acrobatic moves to dodge them that in your opinion are really uncalled for.  
"Show off," you mutter, dropping the disc technique and going back to the streams. Bolin's in his element, not even breaking a sweat as he dodges your attacks and sends earth at you like you're his worst enemy. You're slowing down, getting tired, your body not built for enduring this. As you desperately block the earth coming from your left and right, you miss one disc heading directly for your face until it's far too late. In sheer panic, you drop your water and put your hands helplessly over your head, bracing for impact. When it doesn't come, you open your eyes and see the disc slowly floating above your nose.  
You breathe a sigh of relief as it crashes down between your feet. You slide your back down the wall until you're sitting, exhausted. Bolin comes over, his hair and clothes still dripping but his face lit up in ecstasy.  
"You're amazing!" he says wholeheartedly. "You really had me on my toes there!"  
"Stop patronising me," you sigh. "You were dancing around all my offenses like an earthbending fairy."  
"You did knock me down flat before."  
"You were holding back."  
"He's right. You are really good," Toza says, causing you to look up in surprise. "Keep in mind that Bolin's been a professional for years. Even when he was holding back, it's a big deal to knock him over like that."  
You smile, a little flicker of hope rising in your chest as Toza examines you again.  
"You know what, I think you really got some potential," he says with a nod. "But since I can't really teach you any tricks without my back breaking, I'm not gonna coach you."  
"W-what?" Bolin exclaims in dismay. Your heart sinks a little, and even though you were practically dragged into trying out for pro-bending you realise you're disappointed.  
Toza fishes in his pocket and tosses a key to Bolin. "He will."  
He catches it with a stunned expression. "Excuse me?"  
"Think about it. He's fit, a great bender and he knows the pro-bending rules down pat. Plus you two seem pretty close. I think he could teach ya."  
"I'm not really sure how my waterbending and his earthbending could be compatible," you say uncertainly.  
"You're a capable bender yourself, so he'll just show you physical forms and techniques, good offensive tactics and dodges. I may be old, but I'm not senile just yet."  
You have to admit, that does sound like a pretty good idea. You glance over at Bolin to make sure he's okay with it. He's wearing the biggest, sunniest grin you've ever seen on his face.  
"Me? A teacher? Oh my gosh, I can't believe this is happening!" he yells, flapping his arms as he jumps up and down.  
"So, I'm guessing that's a yes," you laugh.  
He's at your side in a flash, squeezing you tightly in a one-armed hug. He salutes Toza with the other arm, a solemn expression on his face.  
"I'll do my best. She's gonna be the most butt-kicking waterbender in Republic City when I'm through with her."  
"Wonderful," Toza says dryly. "You can set a training session or two every week. Use the gym whenever you want. I have a couple other rookies lying around who're pretty good; I might just have to contact them. You need a team, don't you?"  
"I can't comprehend all this," you say honestly. "Just a month ago, I was a waitress at a noodle shop."  
"Well, comprehend it and do it fast," he says with a grin. "If everything goes well, I can book you a match in a few months."  
"Awesome!" you say, bubbling with excitement as he leaves the gym. As the door closes, Bolin looks down at you, his arm still around your shoulders. He grins.  
"Now who's excited to pro-bend?"


	15. Chapter 15

"Okay, so you've got the basics of bending down pretty well," says Bolin, watching you send relentless streams of water at a punching bag. It's only been a few days since you got into pro-bending, but in those few days you've really learnt quite a bit about combat. Bolin's actually turned out to be a pretty good teacher, enthusiastic and patient when needed.  
"Ah-ah...what did I say about the flat feet?" he chastises you gently. You stand up on your toes, bouncing lightly on them.  
"Sorry," you say. "Old habits die hard."  
You send another torrent of water at the bag, making it swing violently. Bolin clicks his tongue and moves up behind you, placing his warm hands on your shoulders and correcting your posture.  
"I don't know about you, but as an earthbender, this position is much more effective at smaller, quicker shots. It's less tiring, too."  
"Got it," you gasp, perspiration streaming down your face as you let out a flurry of smaller attacks. You look back to him and he nods in approval. "Much better."  
"Can we take a break now, _Sifu?" _you plead.  
"All right, _grasshopper_," he consents, delighted at the title and not noticing the sarcasm behind it. Instantly you slump down onto a bench and look at your water bottle. It's just feet away, but instead of going over to get it, you bend the water out of it into your mouth.  
"Sifu Bolin? I can totally see it," Bolin says to himself before turning to you, grinning widely. "Can't you see it? What if I grow a beard or something? Would I look like a Sifu?"  
"You'd look like a yob with a beard," you reply tiredly, sprawling out on the bench to relax your aching muscles. He frowns a little.  
"Enjoy your break, because you're only getting five minutes."  
"No, I take it back!" you groan, rolling over. "You'd totally look like a Sifu."  
"I know."  
Just then, the door to the gym bursts open and Toza walks in with two pretty girls in tow. He raises an eyebrow at the scene in front of him.  
"I see you've been...working hard," he says, looking from your limp body and sweaty face to Bolin's smug grin across the room.  
"Toza! Thank the spirits," you say in relief, standing up to greet him. "Do you usually work your benders this hard?"  
"If you can still stand up, then trust me, Bolin's going easy on you," he grunts before he gestures to the girls in turn. "This is Miki and Aya. They'll be your teammates if everything goes according to plan."  
Miki's short hair is a dark auburn in colour and her honey brown eyes dart immediately over to Bolin. A coy smile appears on her sharp, contoured face as she watches him run a hand obliviously through his hair. Her body is tall and lithe in comparison to Aya's, who's stockier and more grounded. She reminds you of Korra in a way with her subtle muscles and shoulder-length dark hair. But the resemblance ends there. Her eyes are a deep green and unlike Korra's, they're still and thoughtful. She looks at you and offers a shy smile, and you decide that you're going to like her.  
"Girls, this is Tokiko. She's going to be your waterbender."  
"Hi!" Miki chirps as she makes her way over to shake your hand.  
"Hello," Aya says.  
"It's nice to meet you guys," you say warmly. "How long have you been in the pro-bending business?"  
"Only about a couple of months."  
"A couple of months?" You blanch and then try to laugh it off. "I've, uh, only been here for five days."  
They look surprised but then Aya smiles. "You must have some sort of talent if Toza took you in."  
"Yeah!" Miki chimes in. "Besides, the next booking for a match is ages away. You have plenty of time to practice. Lucky you." Her eyes cut to Bolin again. "If he was my teacher, I'd work my hardest all day."  
"Oh," you say awkwardly as Bolin comes over to greet the girls. You try to signal that your teammate is slightly crazy but to no avail. He shakes Aya's hand and introduces himself before Miki's by his side quick as a flash, latching on to his other hand.  
"You're Bolin from the Fire Ferrets, right?" she says in a voice like syrup.  
"You recognise me?" he says, looking a little creeped out by her close proximity. She just laughs and presses herself closer.  
"Of course I do, silly! I've been to every one of your matches!"  
"Oh...every one?" he repeats, and you can see the alarm bells going off behind his forced grin.  
"I'm so sorry about her." Aya's quiet voice comes from behind you. "She's normally a great girl, but sometimes you wonder if there's something a little loose in her head, you know."  
"Uh-huh." You're torn between concern for Bolin and amusement as you watch Miki fawn over him. His eyes flash to you in a desperate plea for help and you just shrug.  
"All right, break it up, you two!" Toza's voice rings with annoyance from the corner. "Bolin, buddy, I'm sorry I have to do this to you, but you're gonna have to teach these two girls what you know as well."  
You can see the moment when the thread that is his sanity starts to fray.  
"W-what?" he gasps in a small voice.  
"These girls are also pretty proficient benders, and all the equipment they need is here, so you don't need to worry about bending translation."  
Bolin is still reeling in horror when Toza says his goodbyes and leaves the four of you in a room. Aya immediately makes her way over to the discs and begins punching them into the large net on the wall. You're the one to break the silence.  
"Wow. You're in charge of three students," you say, feigning an impressed tone. "Guess I was wrong about you, _Sifu_."  
He audibly gulps from the depths of Miki's clutches and you feel a smile coming on as you imitate Aya and turn back to your training, standing on your toes and using the stance Bolin taught you to hit your punching bag with short blasts of water. Miki drags him over to the middle of the gym and asks him to help her with her stance. With a resigned sigh, he pretends to fix her already perfect posture, but you note that he doesn't touch her shoulders or arms like he did with you. You really don't blame him. She looks a little disappointed at the lack of physical contact but lets off short, effective blasts of fire from her feet and hands with seemingly little effort. Even from the other side of the room, you can feel the intense heat from her bending.  
Bolin's eyes are round and his pupils look like pinpricks as she looks to him for a response. He nods and gives her the thumbs up, the terrified expression still on his face. The poor guy looks like she's just torched him.


	16. Chapter 16

After training for hours, you grab a towel and sling it over your neck, taking a huge swig from your water bottle. Aya's still shattering earth discs in the corner and Bolin's still being manhandled by Miki. Even his hair looks frazzled. You sigh and walk over to them, starting to pity him. You don't know how exactly you'll help him, but you will try.  
"Hey, guys—"  
"Toki! Oh, thank goodness!" Bolin's expression is one of pure desperation as he clings to your arm. You notice how clammy his palms are. Miki pouts as she eyes his hand on your shoulder.  
"I was just..." You try to think of something to get him out of the situation when he interrupts with something that makes both your and Miki's eyes pop out.  
"Do you need something, _babe?_" he asks with a too-wide smile. The hand on your shoulder tightens as you open your mouth to protest against the nickname. His eyes are signalling frantically and you suddenly realise what he's trying to do. But before your scrambled brain can form words, Miki cuts in.  
"You two are together?" she yelps in shock. "Well, why didn't you tell me that before I started flirting with him?"  
"Oh, uh, you were flirting with me?" Bolin asks in fake confusion. "Gee, I couldn't tell."  
Miki narrows her eyes. "Even I know subtlety isn't my strong point."  
"Yeah, well, as you can see, we're together." You speak up and stare pointedly at Bolin. He avoids your gaze. "Y'know...lovebirds, sweethearts, boyfriend and girlfriend. The whole package. So let's just forget this little incident and—"  
"I don't think I believe you." Miki crosses her arms over her chest and looks at you both suspiciously.  
"What?" Bolin says, and you feel him start to panic. "What do you mean? Can't you just see how in love we are?"  
He pulls you closer and you flash a wide, fake smile, perfected from months of being a waitress.  
"Right," Miki says, looking unimpressed. You note that even Aya looks up from her training, her face torn between interest and looking like she wants to jump off the highest cliff she can find. "Okay, then. I want you to prove it."  
You don't like where this is going at all, but you manage a laugh. "What do you mean?" you ask, trying to sell it a little more by placing a hand in a caressing way on Bolin's broad chest.  
"Kiss."  
Under your hand, you feel his heart start to pound erratically and at the same time your cheeks flood with so much heat that you know you must look like an overripe tomato. You remove your hand, the rapid pace of his heart not offering any comfort. _Of all the stupid, stupid situations. Of all the ways to get out of Miki's claws, the idiot had to choose the 'let's pretend to be together' technique? Everyone knows that never ends well!_  
"Oh...look, Miki, we're still a little _new_ to the whole relationship thing," you throw another accusing glare at Bolin again as you say it. "We're not really comfortable with, you know, PDA."  
"What's the problem? I mean, you are a couple, right?"  
_This is way too cliché for my liking. What did I do in my life to lead me to this?_  
You look at Bolin, your eyes wide with questions and he stares back, just as lost as you are. Miki stands there, her eyebrows raised and her foot tapping, and you sigh, steeling yourself. _I'm doing this to save your butt. Again. You owe me so much. _  
Deciding to just get it over with, you put your hands on both sides of Bolin's face and before he can object, you scrunch up your eyes and plant a small peck on his lips. It only lasts a split second, like embarrassed schoolkids trying kissing out for the first time, but it's not at all as horrible as you imagined it to be.  
Bolin's hand freezes on your shoulder and you can tell that he's completely stunned by your actions. Miki's eyes are wide. Clearly, she wasn't expecting you to actually kiss him either. You smile sweetly, ignoring the tingling on your mouth, and elbow him a little to snap him out of it.  
"Ah...yeah, you see? I mean, would normal platonic friends do that?" he stammers weakly.  
Miki sees the dazed expression on both your faces and the suspicion is back tenfold on her own face. Aya is still watching from the corner, studying you quietly.  
"Oh, no, no, no," Miki is saying with a wicked grin. "That? That wasn't a kiss."  
"What do you mean?" you falter. "That was technically a kiss. It was lip contact!"  
"Yeah, so is mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. I meant for you to _really _kiss. Make it last at least three seconds, like a _real_ couple."  
"Three seconds?" Bolin sounds faint.  
"You...you're impossible!" you get out, shaking your head. "Look, I don't like being lovey-dovey in front of people, all right? So..."  
"Your body language tells me something completely different," Miki observes casually. "You're both really tense and awkward like you've never kissed each other before. Not even in private. Trust me, I know romantic body language."  
"If I just don't feel like kissing him, then—"  
"Then I'll assume he's single and continue hitting on him."  
You stare at her for a second, your brain going into overdrive. There's just no getting around this girl. She looks at you expectantly, knowing she's won. "I'm not leaving until you two have a nice, proper—"  
She's cut off when an arm wraps around your waist and pulls you into a solid body. Bolin's lips seal themselves gently around yours and suddenly you're kissing again. But this time it's completely different from the rushed, staged schoolgirl peck. His hand is warm on your hip and his other hand is tangled in your hair while yours remain frozen on his chest, feeling his hummingbird heartbeat, unsure of where else to go. On their own accord, your eyes flutter closed. He's obviously a very experienced kisser, though that thought feels way too weird and out of place in your head. You don't exactly know how it should feel, but right now it's strange because it feels completely real. Everywhere his skin makes contact with yours feels like it's on fire as he kisses you sweet and slow.  
It's all very quick, three seconds to be precise, but time doesn't exist for you until he finally pulls back, leaving you completely out of breath and staggered. The tingling on your mouth is replaced with a sort of electric crackling sensation. You can still taste the sweetness of his breath under your skin. It's a strange feeling, to say the least.  
Miki and Aya are both gaping at you with round eyes, but you and Bolin are staring at each other, your chests heaving in unison. A shred of common sense emerges from your gooey puddle of a brain and you tear your eyes away.  
"Uh, yeah, see? Are you happy now, Miki?" you breathe with not quite as much fire as you would have liked.  
"Oh...uh..." She flounders, looking helplessly from you to Bolin. Her eyes suddenly flash with something like understanding and she smiles, startling you. "Right, then. I'm so sorry for thinking you weren't a couple, I mean, look at you! You're so cute!"  
What's scaring you isn't her smile, it's her completely genuine tone of voice.  
"Okay, then, from now on, I promise to keep my paws off of our sensei," she continues before nudging Aya. "Come on, let's leave the happy pair alone for a while."  
And with that, the two girls are suddenly gone, leaving you and Bolin alone with the only other company being the stifling awkwardness. You notice at the same time that your arms are still wrapped around each other and pull away simultaneously, his face as red as yours feels. You reach a hand up to your mouth, wondering why you felt sparks instead of saliva.  
"Is it..." you take a breath and face him. "Is it supposed to feel like that?"  
"Kissing?" he says, still looking dazed. You give him a look that snaps him out of it a little and he shakes his head.  
"Um, well, if you're talking about what I think you're talking about, then...well...I know I've kissed a fair many girls in my life..."  
"Get to the point."  
He mirrors your action of putting a hand to his lips, brushing them lightly. The look on his face is distant. "...but I've never felt anything like that."  
"Maybe a kiss only gets tingly if you have to stage it for a fangirl," you joke.  
He looks at you curiously. "Don't you know what it normally feels like? I mean, I'm sure you've had guys lining up to kiss you..."  
"If you've been paying attention to our previous conversations," you interrupt dryly, "you would have heard that I've never dated or, for that matter, kissed anyone."  
"What?" he exclaims, his eyes wide with shock and guilt. "I just practically stole your first kiss!"  
"No, it's no big deal," you say. "It was actually kind of, well, nice."  
He pauses. "When we met at Yuuya's, you told me you knew what a bad breakup was like. What did you mean by that if you've never dated anyone?"  
"I was talking about you and Mako 'breaking up' with me, rockhead," you say, rolling your eyes. "Have you been paying attention to certain conversations over others?"  
"I can't believe no one's ever dated you before!" he exclaims. "I mean, look at you! You're smart and funny and caring and beautiful and just totally awesome! It's ridiculous that no one ever..."  
He trails off as he realises that this talk is veering back into dangerous waters. You look away, suddenly finding the floor particularly interesting as your cheeks tingle with the blush of a compliment.  
"Hey..." he says tentatively, making you look up. "We're cool, right?"  
You smile at his expression and give him a friendly punch on the shoulder. "Course."  
"Great, good, all right." He visibly lets out a sigh of relief before looking around the trashed gym. His face falls. "I'm gonna have to clean this up, or Toza's gonna kill me."  
"Do you want any help?" you offer.  
He looks at you like he simultaneously really does want you here and really doesn't.  
"Ah, I'll be fine," he says casually. "You go on ahead. Besides, cleaning up will give me more time away from that Miki chick."  
"Okay, then. I'll see you next week, Sifu," you say, walking over to the doorway. He cringes.  
"Oh, and one more thing. Please never call me that again."


	17. Chapter 17

You leave the room and walk quickly down the corridor, your mind racing almost as fast as your heart. You really need some time to yourself to figure this whole thing out, but unfortunately you don't get that. Instead, you almost get a faceful of Miki as you round the corner and narrowly avoid crashing into her.  
"Whoa!" you exclaim, leaping back. She's grinning like a crazy person and Aya stands next to her with an apologetic smile.  
"Hey," says Miki in a drawn-out I-know-everything voice.  
"Uh...hi," you reply, wondering frantically if she heard that exchange. From her expression, you can tell that Bolin is toast.  
_Did I kiss him for nothing? _But another little voice in your head, one you've never really heard before, says _no. Not for nothing._  
All this goes through your mind in the blink of an eye and then you're wondering frantically what to do to save the situation.  
"Uh, look, Miki..."  
She breaks into a wide, toothy grin. "Yeesh, Toki, why the long face? I was just going to ask if you want to come to the bazaar with me and Aya! You know...drink a few smoothies, get to know each other...the works!"  
"Oh, like a girl's day out?" you say slowly, utterly confused.  
"Totally!" she chirps.  
"So are you in?" Aya asks with a friendly smile.  
"Um...sure, why not?"  
The girls seem nice enough, even Miki. Maybe she's just a little boy-crazy. Besides, you need to get your mind off the whole Bolin situation, and what better way to do that than getting to know your potential teammates?  
Miki squeals and grabs both your and Aya's arms. "This is going to be so much fun," she gushes.  
"You know, I've never had girl friends before, let alone a girl's day out," you confess out of the blue.  
Miki gapes at you and even Aya looks surprised. But then they smile. It's actually almost creepy how their expressions are so in sync, despite the complete difference in their personalities.  
"Well, you're not going to regret it," Miki says firmly. "This is going to be the best girl's day ever!"

"Aah..."  
You tilt your head back in the tub of bubbling hot water, relaxing as the cool slices of cucumber are placed over your eyes. Miki and Aya have taken you to your very first spa and your doubts flew out the window the second they started on your pedicure.  
"What did I tell you, Toki?" Miki says, and you hear a smile in her voice.  
"Yeah, this is really nice," you admit. "But won't these nail jobs be ruined the second we start our training next week?"  
"Worth it," Aya says dismissively.  
You sit in silence for a while, just relaxing, when Miki's pipes up again.  
"So, Tokiko," she says suggestively. "How long have you and our smoking hot Sifu been together?"  
You stiffen but try to keep your face neutral. "Uh, a few months, actually."  
"Really? Because your juicy little conversation today made it seem like you were never together in the first place."  
You jolt up, taking off your cucumber slices in panic to stare at Miki. She stares back triumphantly.  
"Oh no, listen..." you fumble.  
"Relax! It was painfully obvious anyway," she says dismissively. "You guys are friends, and you used the old we're-a-couple trick to get him away from me."  
"I'm...I'm sorry?" you say weakly.  
"Don't be. I admit I still need to work on my boy skills," she says wholeheartedly. "But you don't need to worry. I won't go back to coddling him."  
"Why not?" you ask in relieved surprise.  
She smiles. "Because you like each other."  
You're stunned as you watch her casually put the slices back on her eyes. For a moment your mind flashes back to Opal.  
_"__What I'm saying is, I think you have the potential to love Bolin."_  
"Excuse me?" you stammer.  
"That was pretty obvious too," Aya comments from the corner. "After you guys kissed, you both looked like someone had just punched you in the head."  
You try to will away the growing heat in your cheeks.  
"That's not—that's because I've never kissed anyone before!" you exclaim defensively.  
"Oh, stop denying it," says Miki. "You have an insane crush on Bolin."  
You're quiet, your mind racing. You know you have some little, confused feelings for him but you've never classified it as a crush. You've actually tried to avoid the thought.  
"Okay, say I do like him. Then what?" you ask. "He's just been through a bad breakup. He's leaned on me for support and I've leaned on him. We've been good friends since childhood, and I don't think he sees me as anything else."  
Miki tsks. "Sounds to me like you've been friendzoned. But not to worry. When I was training with him today, he kept watching you."  
"Probably looking for a way to escape your clutches," you shoot back. She just laughs.  
"It's so adorable how you don't notice these things. You like him and he likes you. You're both just too afraid to understand it."  
"He just got out of a three year relationship a month ago!" you say, frustrated. "There's no possible way Bolin likes me. He's crazy about his ex."  
You decide you've had enough of this conversation. Before Miki can speak again, you swirl the water around, sending the girls whirling and shrieking to the other side of the tub. Aya loses a cucumber slice and glares at you through one green eye while Miki laughs, holding onto the sides of the stone tub.  
"Oh, you're gonna get it!" she says, forgetting about Bolin and using her firebending to heat up the water underneath you. She accidentally gets Aya with it too, and you shriek simultaneously, leaping out of the water as you frantically try to cool it down.  
"Hey!" yelps Aya, playfully pushing slabs out of the earthen walls to smack you and Miki into the centre of the spa.  
You splash them both and the battle continues, sending bits of rock and puddles of boiling water all over the room. By this time, your face masks have all washed off as you stay in the centre of the pool to keep Aya's attacks at bay and cool the water around you to fend off Miki's.  
"This isn't fair!" wails Miki, vainly trying to boil the water. "You guys are in your element! Next time we should fight in, like, the middle of a volcano or something."  
"Too bad, Miki," Aya smiles smugly as a pillar of earth underneath her friend launches her out of the pool. She shrieks and lands on her feet on the windowsill and you barely have time to process this before you're in midair too. You land on all fours on the ground and immediately stand up, summoning the water from the pool to your side. Aya holds her own in the pool as she shifts into a stance and on the other side, Miki has fire behind her, about to blast herself towards you both before the door slams open.  
The petite manicure lady gapes at the destruction in the room and then at you three, still sheepishly holding your elements, before she scowls. There's a dangerous look in her eye.  
"Well," Aya mutters, dropping her fists. "There goes our spa day."


	18. Chapter 18

You didn't really want to come into training today, knowing the stifling awkwardness that would await you, but you feel you don't really have a choice. So your relief when you step into class and don't find Bolin there is vast. _He must be late. _  
Your teammates are already there, and working hard. Miki is doing situps in the corner and Aya is testing different bending techniques. You decide to do a little warmup first and begin to stretch your muscles. Miki suddenly looks at you and grimaces.  
"What?" you ask.  
"What are you wearing?" she exclaims in horror.  
You look down at yourself, unsure. You have on a plain full sleeved tunic and leggings.  
"I always wear this to training," you say.  
"Yeah, but today? It's so hot today!" groans Miki, falling back.  
You eye her sleeveless top and sports shorts uncertainly, beginning to feel the heat under your collar. Aya's got her sleeves rolled up and you realise in surprise that she's barefoot, having kicked off her socks and boots some time ago.  
"I don't feel that hot."  
"Yeah, but you just got here. Try doing fifty sit ups in that!" huffs Miki.  
You frown a little. Truth is, you just don't feel too comfortable in anything too revealing, especially in front of Bolin. Miki seems to read your mind, as always, and snorts.  
"You little nun. Bolin's so innocent he probably wouldn't notice anything different if you show your arms off a little," she says affectionately. "Besides, he's not here. We don't want you dying of heatstroke, do we?"  
"I can handle a little heat," you reply dismissively. But after a couple of laps around the room, you change your mind. Sweating like a pig, you reluctantly slide off your tunic to reveal a white singlet underneath.  
"Called it," Miki says smugly, not looking back from practicing her flame kicks.  
"Be quiet."  
It's much more refreshing, though, you have to admit, as you start on those pushups you've been putting off. You can almost touch the ground when you go down now. On your twenty fifth one, however, your arms are wobbling so much that you collapse, your flushed cheek pressing against the cool ground. You roll over and see that Miki and Aya are just about worn through, the former slumped against a wall and the latter sending disks into the net much more half-heartedly than before. _It wouldn't hurt to close my eyes a little..._  
But before you can drift off, there's a definitively masculine voice clearing his throat in the doorway. Your eyes shoot open and you draw your knees up, put your arms behind your head and sit up.  
"One hundred!" you pant, as if you'd been doing that for the whole time.  
You stand up quickly and turn to face Bolin and Toza, the latter folding his arms, unimpressed, and the former gaping at you. You can't figure out why at first, but your face slowly begins to burn as you remember you're wearing that skintight singlet, your arms and neck shining with sweat. You turn frantically to look for your tunic but don't find it in the place you left it. Your eyes instinctively dart to Miki, who has her hands held innocently behind her back. You glare at her as you catch a glimpse the fold of blue material she's holding—your tunic. The weasel-snake has planned this!  
Toza clears his throat again and you look back at them, unconsciously crossing your arms over your chest. He looks over at Bolin like he wants him to say something, then frowns when he sees him apparently rendered speechless.  
The awkwardness between you three is a tangible thing, like a little bubble of cringe surrounding you.  
"So, Bolin tells me you girls have some talent," Toza says gruffly, breaking the bubble as he raises a bushy white brow. "Enough to let me make you an official team."  
Your eyes go wide and you exchange shocked glances with Miki and Aya, who've come over to stand by you.  
"Now, here's the deal," he continues. "I can book you for a match in, say, two months. Don't worry, it'll be a fair match. You'll be up against other newbies. But first, I need to know that you are good enough."  
His eyes flicker and you know what he's going to say.  
"You're going to spar each other!"  
Ordinarily, you would be excited for this. But what with the broiling heat and the fact that you had to clean up a whole spa the last time you sparred, you all let out a groan.

"Okay, neither of you can use head shots. Miki, no blasts that last longer than one second and no lightning. Aya, no dust or sand. You can deflect her shots with your discs."  
You sit nervously on the bench as Bolin goes over the rules. You're doing things a little differently than the free-for-all at the spa; instead, you're sparring one-on-one and your matches are timed. Miki and Aya are going first and, wearing spare armoured suits, they both look as terrified and excited as you feel.  
Toza blows the whistle and immediately Aya sends a disc at Miki's torso. She easily breaks it with a blast of fire and returns the favour by punching several small fire blasts at her. Aya dodges and blocks, her face a mask of total concentration under her helmet, and sends more discs at her rival. Your eyes widen and your stomach drops as the girls throw a flurry of flame and rock at each other, neither one pausing and neither one landing a hit. You've never seen either of them in action like this and you realise just how in trouble you are. They are good._Too good._  
Bolin, sitting a few feet away from you, senses the panic you're radiating and for a moment you lock eyes. _You'll be fine, _he mouths, but you're far from reassured as they take off their helmets and shake hands, breathing hard.  
Toza looks pleased as they sit down next to you and rest for a while. You frantically rack your brains for any falters you saw in their techniques and come up with nothing. _I am dead meat._  
And before you know it, your helmet is on and you're facing Miki in the centre of the gym in an agony of panic. Even though she's just been in a match, you can bet money that you're sweating more than her.  
"Okay, Toki! No fog or ice and no streams longer than a second!" Bolin calls out to you. You nod, keeping your eyes focused on Miki.  
Toza blows his whistle again and there's a sudden ball of flame being tossed at you. Adrenaline drives your arms to block it, causing clouds of steam. You let off streams of water at her, catching her by surprise by getting in a lucky hit in her stomach. She only staggers back a little bit before regaining her footing and sending off a series of flawless fire kicks at you. Frantically, you dodge them, jumping and ducking like a spastic rabaroo. Miki narrows in on the opening and sends another blast at you. The wave of heat singes your eyebrows as the flame catches your padded shoulder. You let out a yelp, more in shock than in pain, and send a stronger wave of water at her that makes her stumble a little more, before aiming at her legs. She uses her falling momentum to dodge your next blast, landing on her hands and springing back up without breaking a sweat. She's charging up another fireball when Toza's whistle saves you.  
Your shoulders slump in utter relief as you shake Miki's hand and go back to your bench. Bolin ducks his head to catch your eye and give you a thumbs up and a grin. You look away quickly, knowing you weren't knocked down only because of sheer luck and adrenaline. As you absently touch your blackened shoulder pad, you feel a sudden presence right next to you.  
"Are you all right?" Bolin asks, causing you to stiffen. "Did she burn you?"  
"The, uh, fire didn't get under my clothes," you reply, avoiding his gaze. "I'm fine, thanks."  
"Oh...okay."  
He sounds a little hurt and his tone makes you look up straight into his green eyes. Bad move. It only reminds you of the kiss you two shared because he's looking at you exactly like he did after it happened. You force a smile and tear your gaze away, fumbling for your water bottle and cursing your fluttering nerves.  
Your name is called again and you walk into the centre of the ring with Aya, your heart in your throat while she looks focused and calm as always.  
"Break a leg, you guys!" Bolin calls enthusiastically, like the moment never happened. He pauses and looks uncertain. "Or...don't."  
You try to ease your mind, but it's not easy what with all the boy drama on top of you battling an amazing bender that you can never hope to top. You barely hear Toza's whistle above the loudness of your thoughts, but when you do, you're the one sending the first blow. Looking surprised, Aya just barely dodges your stream of water. You suddenly realise that since Aya and Miki have known each other longer, they are familiar with each other's techniques and not yours. _Okay, so I have the element of surprise on my side._  
So you start coming up with the weirdest waterbending you can picture, first sending water discs at her to counter her earth discs. She blocks them, but you don't miss the confused look on her face as you mimic her own attacks. One stray disc goes around to splash her in the side of the head, disorienting her momentarily. You use your feet like a firebender, trying to imitate Miki's fire kicks but with water instead. You can tell you're not pulling it off perfectly, but Aya can only block so much of the arc with her small earth discs, leaving some to soak her suit.  
She quickly catches on to what you're doing, though, and begins to tailor her defences to your attacks. She even manages to get a few offenses in, and you can just barely avoid them. One disc clips your hand as you throw it out to block. You yelp, drawing it back as another carefully aimed disc gets your well-padded knee and throws you, not quite hurting you but taking you down. As you go, you wildly blast water that somehow splashes Aya enough to stop her pelting earth at you. The whistle blows again as you roll over on the floor, holding your sore fingers.  
Unsurprisingly, Bolin's the first one at your side.  
"Toki! Is anything broken?" he asks. Aya appears over you a second later, apologising, and you shake your head.  
"No...I don't think so. But I probably can't use this hand for a while. Can fingers be bruised?" you ask with a grimace.  
Bolin helps you up and you gingerly flex your leg. "You have good aim," you tell Aya truthfully. She smiles and Toza clears his throat loudly from the benches. You all look up.  
"Miki and Aya! Excellent job, as always. I have high hopes for you two!" he says proudly. Your stomach sinks a little. Were you really that terrible that he didn't mention you?  
"Tokiko." You jump as he says your name. "You might not be as well-trained as these two, but you have excellent skills. Your tactics when you realised Aya had not sparred with a waterbender before were incredible. Unfortunately, you might not be able to use waterbending like that in the arena, but with that strategist brain of yours, you'll be a valuable asset to the team."  
You brighten as Toza cracks a quick grin at you. "So, does that mean..."  
"You're part of the team. I'm booking you that match!"  
Before you can react, there's a loud whoop in your ear and suddenly Bolin is swinging you around with an expression of giddy delight on his face, all awkwardness forgotten.  
"I knew you could do it!" he says, pumping his fist as Miki and Aya crowd around you in a group hug, squealing in excitement.  
As for you, you're over the moon. You even forget the pain in your fingers momentarily as you bask in the newfound glory of being a pro-bender.


	19. Chapter 19

"Where is Bolin?" Miki grumbles as you exchange blows.  
"Late again," Aya remarks from the stands, carefully observing you both for foul play.  
You duck an arc of fire, coming up lightly on your toes to send a blast of water back.  
"He's probably in another meeting with Toza or something," you say, feeling the need to defend him. Aya makes a gesture with her hand that means your time is up and you drop your fists, panting hard. Miki takes off her helmet, flicking her bangs out of her eyes, and you do the same. You hold out your hands and Aya tosses you your water bottle, from which you take huge, thirsty gulps.  
Over the few weeks after your official pro-bender status was announced, you and the girls have grown closer, progressing from teammates to friends. Your bending has improved quite a bit under Bolin's teaching and your own practice. Small, defining muscles are beginning to show themselves on your arms and stomach. All in all, despite the hard work, you don't think there was ever a point where you were happier.  
"Whose turn is it to referee?" asks Miki.  
"Mine. I'm beat," you reply.  
As you settle into the referee spot and watch the two get ready for battle, Bolin appears in the doorway.  
"Oh, guys! Perfect! You're all here!" he exclaims, out of breath.  
"Today is a training day," Miki replies, perching a hand on her hip.  
"Yeah, where have you been?" Aya asks, arching a brow.  
"Okay, so after weeks of planning, I finally got you guys the perfect sparring partners!" he exclaims, looking extra proud of himself.  
"Sparring-?" you ask, and then are abruptly cut off when two familiar figures appear in the doorway, dressed in red pro-bending costumes like Bolin. You practically hear the girls' jaws hit the floor as Mako and Avatar Korra walk in. The boy grins at you as you launch yourself off the floor to hug him.  
"Mako! How are you?" you laugh, ruffling his hair. "Too busy to contact me?"  
"Whoa, slow down, Toki!" he exclaims, putting a hand protectively on his head to fix the damage. But you can see his smile. "Yeah, something like that."  
You raise an eyebrow and whisper loud enough for everyone to hear. "How're the bruises? Did I hit you too hard the last time I saw you or did they heal?"  
Mako's eyes dart around and he reddens. "I'm, uh, fine. Nothing was broken. I see my little bro's plan to get you into pro-bending worked out, though!"  
"Yeah, it did," you admit, turning to grin at Bolin. You're surprised at the hurt expression on his face as he trains his eyes on your arm around Mako's waist. For a moment you flash back to Opal at the party. Quickly and for reasons you don't even understand, you withdraw the arm and turn to the Avatar standing beside him.  
"Av—Korra!" you correct yourself quickly, holding out a hand. She takes it warmly.  
"It's so great to see you again, Tokiko, and at my old job too," she says. "Trust me, you won't regret it."  
"I don't plan to."  
Before any of you can speak again, Miki's voice cuts through the air. _"__You're friends with all the Fire Ferrets?" _she shrills.  
"Well, yeah. I told you I knew Mako and I met the Avatar at a...convention," you say, trying to sound nonchalant.  
"Wow," Aya says. "You really have some connections, Toki."  
"It's such an honour to meet you guys!" Miki exclaims, bowing her head quickly and shaking Korra's hand. There are greetings all around until Bolin speaks up, bubbling with excitement.  
"So are we gonna spend the whole day being polite or are we gonna fight?" he asks, sending two earth discs at Korra. She effortlessly crumbles them with a flick of her hand and grins, her blue eyes flashing.  
"Okay, then. Let's do this thing!"

"You guys are great benders individually, but pro-bending is all about teamwork," Bolin tells you. "You need to learn how to work together like a machine. A machine of deadliness and butt-kicking!"  
You nod. Miki and Aya do the same beside you and settle into their stances. The Fire Ferrets mirror your actions. You look down, making sure to stay in the chalked in zone drawn to resemble the actual arena.  
"We're going to go easy on you guys," says Mako.  
"Last time one of you said that, I knocked him on his butt." You look at Bolin as you say this and he pouts underneath his helmet.  
"Actually, I think at one point I knocked both of the bending brothers on their—"  
"3, 2, 1, start!" Bolin says loudly and suddenly there's a flurry of earth discs being sent your way. Taken by surprise, you spring up, launching into a backflip and just barely landing on your feet. Next to him, Mako cocks an eyebrow, impressed.  
"What can I say?" you ask, feigning indifference. "Your brother taught me well."  
"All right, but can you flip your way through this?"  
Korra's voice startles you as she sends a sudden stream of water straight at your head. You hold your hands out and bend it back, straight at Mako who's about to blast fire at Aya. The water sizzles as it makes contact, effectively extinguishing the attack. Then without missing a beat, you bend some water of your own at Korra. She dodges with some fancy flip trick in the air and turns her attention to Miki, who's firing at her relentlessly.  
You continue back and forth, the three of you struggling to keep up with the flurry of attacks from the pro-bending champions. Focused on blocking Mako's offenses, you don't notice the earth disc flying at your torso until it's too late. With a loud grunt, you're sent flying back into Zone II.  
"Oh, you...!" you grit out, blasting water at Bolin. He yelps as he stumbles back, caught off guard, before blocking it, his heel narrowly escaping crossing over to his own second zone.  
Shortly after you, Miki is pushed back into Zone II, closely followed by Aya. The Fire Ferrets advance into your first zone and you steel your resolve despite the dull pain in your stomach where Bolin's disc hit you. You risk a glance to your right and can see that the girls are as exhausted as you feel, but fighting like warriors. Quickly, you dodge an arc of fire from Mako and send streams of water at all three opponents. A blast from Korra almost hits you in the face, but an earth disc appears out of nowhere to block it. You nod your thanks to Aya.  
In a single, fluid movement, Mako sends a fiery ball at Miki. She stumbles back, startled, and just barely manages to bend it out of her way before her foot grazes Zone III. She lets out an audible sigh of frustration, sending a flaming retaliation at Mako as she moves back. You exchange glances with Aya again, feeling the perspiration streaming under your helmet.  
The Fire Ferrets are gaining territory, slowly pushing you all back. You are about to hit Zone III and Miki is fighting to stay in the chalk ring. Aya is breathing hard, not too far ahead of you both as she bends her discs so rapidly her arms are a blur. Just as you're about to be thrown head over tail into Zone III, the timer goes off.  
"Whoo! What a rush!" Korra exclaims, taking off her helmet and shaking out her hair. You drop your fists, confused.  
"Aren't there supposed to be three rounds?" you ask.  
"Not for rookies like you against pros like us," Mako says. He studies you as you take your helmet off as well, pulling your hair back off your neck. "You know, you guys are actually really good. None of you were knocked out of the ring; I'm impressed."  
"Thanks, Scarfy."  
Miki gulps water from her bottle like a fish while Aya wipes the sheen of sweat from her face with a towel.  
"It's true. You guys have a lot of potential." It's Korra's voice this time as she walks up to you and Mako with a grin. "You're going to kill it out there in the ring. What are you calling yourselves?"  
"Uh...we haven't really decided yet," you admit.  
"I'm still sticking with the Poodle-Monkeys!" Miki calls from her seat.  
"Poodle-Monkeys are stupid!" Aya calls back.  
You frown a little when Bolin suddenly pipes up.  
"Fireflies," he says decidedly.  
"Excuse me?"  
"I was out for a walk the other night when I came across some fireflies—a whole bunch of them," he says, growing animated. "They were beautiful and they glowed in the dark and...well, I couldn't take my mind off them from the second I saw them. So...I was reminded of you girls."  
His eyes are on you, though, as he says this and you feel a tell tale tingle of heat in your cheeks. You hope desperately that he'll write off the cause of your red face as exertion. You glance across at Miki and Aya, who are staring between you two like it's a pro-bending match, their faces brimming with glee. Even Korra's eyes are wide with disbelief and a dawning sense of understanding.  
"The uniforms would look so cool!" says Mako, the only one oblivious to the tension in the air. "Picture them—we can get Future Industries to sponsor us!"  
"Yeah, I've already talked to Asami about that..."  
In a split second, Bolin averts his eyes from you and turns to his brother and once again it's like nothing happened between you two. You look after them, motionless with confusion, when Miki's voice cuts through your daze, higher-pitched than usual.  
"Did you see how he was looking at you when he was talking about the fireflies being beautiful?" she whisper-squeals. "Did you see?"  
"I...yeah," you stammer, too bewildered to deny it.  
"You need to go talk to him!" Aya says in your other ear.  
"Spirits, you guys are creepy!" you say, jumping a little and turning to face them. They're both standing and looking at you expectantly, Miki's hands planted on her hips and Aya's arms folded. You turn to Korra, your eyes pleading, but she just shrugs.  
"I agree with them. He's so into you."  
You gape for a moment before scowling. "I thought the Avatar was supposed to help people!"  
"Trust me, I am helping you," she says with a wink.  
"Catch him when he's alone and confess your eternal, undying love for him!" Miki sighs, clasping her hands dramatically. You lean forward and flick her on the forehead, eliciting a satisfying "Ow!"  
You turn and see that Bolin walking out of the doorway. It's almost funny how bad your luck is.  
"Now's your chance; he's probably going to the bathroom! Make a run for it! Be the Oma to his Shu!" hisses Aya, giving you a light push on the small of your back. You groan.  
"Fine! I'll do it! Just...please shut up."  
You throw your hands up and walk out of the gym, ignoring Mako's quizzical look. But you can't deny the churning of butterflies in your stomach as you go after Bolin.


	20. Chapter 20

Your footsteps seem much louder than usual down the echoing corridors, your palms suddenly clammy and your breathing a little shallow. _This is ridiculous. _  
You look around, frowning slightly. Bolin only had a little headstart; you should be able to see him. A sudden flicker of movement comes from your right and Pabu skitters out from behind a wall, chattering happily at you. You pick him up and wonder why he's here; the bathrooms are ahead. You duck quickly around the corner and find yourself face-to-face with a beet-red Bolin, his back pressed against the wall like he's hiding from something—or someone.  
You take a hasty step back until you're a comfortable distance apart and then stare suspiciously at him. He gulps and his eyes dart around and land on Pabu, who's nestled comfortably on your shoulder.  
"Pabu! There you are!" he says unconvincingly, snatching up the little guy with a nervous giggle. You cross your arms, your eyebrow raised.  
"Were you hiding from me?" you ask.  
"No..."  
His eyes slide to the side as he drags out the word.  
"You're a terrible liar."  
"I know," he replies instantly, his shoulders sagging.  
You sigh. "All right, look. I'm out here to clear up some...uh...ideas people are getting. About...us."  
His face can't get any redder so it turns an impossible shade of purple. His eyes dart everywhere like he's on cactus juice.  
"Are...are you all right?" you ask, alarmed.  
"Me? Yeah, a hundred per cent! I feel great, never better, why do you ask?" he says quickly.  
"Again, I don't have to be Toph to know that you're lying," you say dryly. "You've been acting...really weird lately. Especially around me...after the incident."  
Bolin clamps a hand over your mouth and looks out into the hallway, panicking. You roll your eyes and pull him off.  
"Hey, what's the big deal? Miki and Aya already know about it."  
"Yeah, but Mako and Korra don't!" he hisses.  
"You see what I mean?" you say, impatiently pushing him back. "It was staged, right? So why are you acting like I'm a rabid eel-hound? You told me we were cool!"  
"I'm not acting like you're a rabid eel-hound," he mutters, avoiding eye contact.  
"You're not even looking at me!" You pause and take a deep breath, trying for a gentler tone. "Like today, you got all weird when I hugged Mako and the second we're alone together, you look like I'm torturing you just by talking. Not to mention that whole thing about the fireflies, and the other day when you got all concerned and touchy when you thought Miki burned me and then after both of these happened you pretended like they didn't!"  
You stop, out of breath as Bolin stares at you, something burning slowly in the pits of his green eyes.  
"What is it, Bo? What's wrong all of a sudden?" you ask softly, reaching out to touch his shoulder. He flinches away and you can't help but feel a quick prickle of hurt.  
"I...I don't know!" he says helplessly. "You're doing something weird to me and I don't know what it is."  
You just look at him, stricken.  
"I've never felt like this in front of anyone! Not Korra, not Ginger, not Eska, not even Opal!I feel like...like something is pulling me to you, like a magnet, you know. But at the same time, I can't be around you because I'm scared I'll mess up!"  
He looks sincerely terrified and you don't say anything because to a degree that is exactly how you feel around him.  
"Bo, listen to me. I'm your friend. You've messed up so many times in front of me and you never cared before. And for the record, neither did I," you say, attempting to sound soothing. He groans.  
"But I did! And that's what scares me."  
"Hello? Is Bolin in there?" you ask jokingly, leaning up on your toes to rap your knuckles on his head. "I'd like to speak to him, please!"  
He just gazes at you and suddenly you have the overwhelming urge to kiss him like he'd kissed you the other week. His eyes are flickering down to your lips and you realise that the same thoughts are running through his head. But then he blinks and the spell is broken. You drop back down on your feet, lowering your arm.  
"Bolin, this can't keep happening. Do you like me or not?" you ask finally.  
He makes a face like he's choking on a live octopus at the straightforward question. You rub your hands on your pants as you hold your breath, suddenly realising how much his answer means to you. As you stand there, awaiting the answer, you realise that you have an enormous crush on your best friend.  
"Tokiko..." he says softly at last. "I don't know. I mean, with the whole Opal thing just two months ago...I can't..."  
You inhale sharply, her name feeling like a dagger to the chest, and take an involuntary step back. Your face must betray the crushing disappointment that's twisting your intestines because Bolin reaches out, as if to apologise or to comfort you. But you just stand rigid, finding it suddenly hard to breathe. You had no idea that his words would impact you so hard.  
"I...if that's how you feel..." your voice wobbles but you catch it and breathe deeply. "If that's how you feel about me, then I'll give you some space for as long as you need.  
"No, Toki...I don't mean..."  
You back out of his reach, holding up your hands with a fixed poker face. "Take all the time you want. It's...fine," you lie.  
Before he can reply, you turn and run down the hallway, your eyes burning but completely dry. To an ordinary passer-by you wouldn't look like someone who'd experienced their first heartbreak. But on the inside, a large earthen hand is crushing your insides until you're numb.


	21. Chapter 21

Your resolve to not be disheartened by one guy almost crumbles as you walk into training the next week and see Bolin. He looks up at you and uncertainty flashes across his face as you make eye contact for a split second. For once, you're the one to turn away and look at the ground. From the corner of your eye you see Miki and Aya, their gazes flickering between you and him, looking concerned. You glance at the punching bags and the weights and decide that inanimate objects won't be enough for you today.  
"Would anyone like to spar with me?" you ask suddenly. Everyone stops and stares at you. You don't usually volunteer for sparring, given your nonviolent disposition, but you're aching for something to take your thoughts away from everything else going on.  
Aya's the first one to step up to spar, as usual, and she quickly gets into her practice gear. You wriggle into your own suit and in no time at all you're facing her in the chalk ring, your fists up and your adrenaline pumping. As you block the first earth disc flying at you, you're unfortunately reminded of Bolin. Heat surges through your body and you hurl the water at her, catching her off guard with the force of your blows, but she swiftly recovers and moves past most of them. Your body feels almost alien to you as you ditch your normal strategy and hit her with everything you have, releasing your stress and frustration into your bending. You feel a fierce exhilaration as you slam her back into Zone II, but at the same time you're getting a little tired, your unusually energetic style wearing your body down. Aya spots this and closes in. You're out of the ring in ten seconds flat, dazed and lying on your back.  
She quickly appears in your vision, her face a mask of concern as she reaches out to help you up. You give her a tiny smile of thanks as the others approach you.  
"What was that?" Miki asks, wide-eyed. You can tell she also knows something's wrong.  
"I was trying out a different strategy," you lie.  
"You...probably shouldn't do that in the ring," Bolin advises, looking a little nervous to speak to you. You nod and turn away abruptly, taking off your helmet. As you sit down on the benches, Miki and Aya sit on either side of you.  
"Isn't it your turn to spar?" you ask, avoiding their gazes as you drink water. Aya places a hand firmly on your shoulder.  
"Toki, tell us what's wrong," she says. "You've been way too distant. Your fighting today was sloppy and your energy was all over the place."  
Miki looks across the room at Bolin, who's quietly setting up the gym for the next match. He glances briefly at you, looking torn, before going back to work.  
"Something happened with Bolin last week, didn't it?" she asks. You wince and decide it's no use lying.  
"Yeah."  
"Did...you confess to him?" she whispers, looking a little guilty.  
"Kind of. As you can see, it didn't go too well."  
"Oh Toki, I'm sorry," murmurs Aya sympathetically.  
"Hey, if a guy refuses to get over his ex, what're you gonna do?" you say, keeping your tone light. "I appreciate your concern, but I'll live."  
_If they share one more anxious glance over my shoulder, I swear to Agni—_  
"Hey, ladies, come over here!" Bolin's eyes are dancing with glee as he beckons you three over. You blink in confusion at the sudden shift in his tone, but get up and approach him along with your teammates.  
"You might want to sit down for this," he says. "I was going to show you later, but..."  
He reaches into a bag lying next to him and pulls out a uniform. For a moment your feelings stop brewing up a storm inside you as you gaze at it in wonder.  
"It's...amazing," Miki breathes.  
The tunic and pants are black, but the armour and guards on the chest, arms, legs and feet are golden. The logo of Future Industries, half a turning gear in a pentagon, stands clearly on the torso padding in white_._  
"Pretty sweet, right?" Bolin says proudly. "We were the Future Industries Fire Ferrets and now you guys are the Future Industries Fireflies."  
"It's beautiful," you admit, surprising yourself. Bolin catches your eye with a hopeful smile and you return it very briefly.  
"How did you get them made this fast?" Aya asks.  
"Are you kidding?" he exclaims. "Asami Sato made them. You know, owner of the hugest factory in Republic City and daughter of Hiroshi Sato. Three little uniforms were no biggie for her."  
"Oh, can we try them on? Please?" Miki asks, clasping her hands eagerly. "Can we test them out in another sparring match right now?"  
"No way!" Bolin laughs. "You're saving these for the real match next month."  
The realisation hits you anew and you feel the colour drain from your face.  
"Toki?"  
"I-it's really soon, isn't it? The match," you murmur, rubbing your arm nervously.  
"Don't worry, girl, you'll be fine!" Miki says confidently, slinging an arm around your shoulder. "We are gonna kick butt in that ring."  
The three of you watch as Bolin packs the uniform away, but your mind is on something else. You don't feel close to prepared enough for a real match.


	22. Chapter 22

On one of the rare days off from training like this one, you usually stay home, perfecting your bending and obsessing over the upcoming match. Lately, though, you've found out that a good walk clears your head more than anything else and so you walk, your muscles aching dully from the vigorous training you did yesterday and a sharp tang of hunger piercing your belly. You've been put on a 'healthy' diet to co-ordinate with your exercise routine, and it's positively killing you. For some reason, you can't take another salad today, so almost of their own accord, your feet carry you around a corner until you're standing directly in front of your old workplace.  
The words _Yuuya's Noodle Palace _in a giant bowl-shaped sign makes your insides flip and it takes everything in you to keep from drooling like a hungry polar bear dog at the tantalising smells emanating from the building. How long has it been since you'd even laid your eyes on a single dumpling?  
_One small bowl of seaweed noodles wouldn't kill me, I suppose. _Your hand is already reaching for the door handle. _Besides, what Bolin doesn't know won't hurt him._  
The door opens and you're hit with both the beautiful aroma of Water Tribe food and a strong sense of déjà vu. _The place hasn't changed. _You look around the crowded restaurant approvingly, still standing in the doorway, when an all-too-familiar voice freezes you there. Your head turns so fast it's a miracle you don't get whiplash.  
Bolin sits at a table in the middle of the room. Before you can even register that he hasn't seen you yet, you notice the person sitting across from him and your heart plummets into your shoes. Opal tucks her dark hair behind one ear and smiles at him sweetly, her jewel-like eyes shining under her thick lashes. You watch as Bolin lays a hand on hers earnestly, talking like he's pouring his heart into what he's saying.  
Blood roars in your ears as you turn and storm out of the restaurant before the pair even looks up to acknowledge your presence. What you felt the other day is nothing compared to what you're feeling now. It's like the hunger you felt up until a few seconds ago, but infinitely sharper, stabbing you repeatedly in the chest instead of the stomach.  
_I don't care. I don't care. I don't care, _you chant vainly in your head. _It's his life. He can do what he wants with it. He can get back together with his ex. I don't own him. I don't care._

*  
You don't expect the knock on your door that night, so when it comes, interrupting your nightly workout session, you're less than prepared. You get up and throw a quick glance around your lounge room. It's not nearly as messy as Bolin's, but it's not guest-friendly either. You sigh and brush a stray piece of hair out of your eyes as you get up to answer the door.  
For a moment after you open it, all you can register is a huge shock of colour. You blink and realise that there's a bouquet of flowers being thrust in your face, so big that you can't even see the person holding it. But then a familiar furry head pops out of the flowers. Pabu sneezes before sticking his neck out to be petted, squeaking a greeting.  
"Hey, bud," you say in surprise, one hand reaching out automatically to stroke him. You crane your neck to see around the bouquet. "Bolin?"  
"Uh, hi, Toki...can I come in?" comes his muffled voice. "These flowers are a little heavy."  
"Oh, um...sure?"  
You back away a little as you watch Bolin make his way inside, practically staggering under the weight of his burden.  
"What are they for?" you ask.  
"They're for you, of course. Where do I put them?"  
_For me? _"Put them on the, uh, coffee table, I guess."  
You're burning with curiosity as he puts them down and turns to you, running a hand through his hair nervously. You're suddenly painfully aware of your dragon's nest hair and the baggy singlet and sweatpants you're currently wearing.  
"Care to explain what in Agni's name is going on?" you ask blankly.  
"Oh, right...I came to say that..." he falters a little. "Uh, well, I met Opal this morning and we kinda talked."  
You nod before you even realise what you're doing. "I know."  
His eyes widen in panic. "What?"  
"I was walking past Yuuya's and I saw you two through the window," you half-lie.  
"Oh, man..." he fumbles. "Toki, it wasn't like that."  
"You don't need to explain yourself to me," you interrupt him dully. "If you want to talk to your ex, then, hey, it's a free nation."  
"We were talking about you," he blurts. Your spine stiffens a little.  
"What about me?"  
"I...well, like I said, I was really confused for a while. I mean, I had these feelings for you but at the same time I was sure I wasn't over Opal yet. And since me and you weren't...on the best of terms for the past week, I called her. Girls know about this sort of thing, right?" He's twiddling his thumbs, a sure sign of nerves. "She agreed to meet up and we smoothed things over between us. She apologised, I apologised and then you came up. She finally made me realise how stupid it was to say those things to you last week. I hurt you, and I...Toki, I'm sorry."  
"Is that why all the flowers in Republic City are sitting on my table right now?" you ask wryly, but under your sarcastic facade your heart is pounding so loudly you're sure Bolin can hear it. He looks down at his shoes as his cheeks turn pink.  
"That's only half the reason. Uh, it's a funny story actually. Opal has moved on with her life and she suggested I do the same. It wasn't Opal I couldn't get over; it was the fact that we never worked things out until now."  
You raise your eyebrows in disbelief and he hurries on. "I know you've been trying to tell me that for a long time, but you of people know that I'm kind of an idiot. But, Toki, you gotta believe me when I say that now talking to you for a week was probably one of the hardest things I ever had to do."  
"Wait, wait, wait...you fought off an insane bloodbender, almost got engaged to a psychotic princess, went toe-to-toe with an evil flying guy's lavabending henchman _and_ helped the Avatar defeat the dark spirit!" you exclaim, flustered all of a sudden. "Come on, there's no way that not talking to me was—"  
"I had a crush on you when we were kids."  
The random confession makes your mouth snap shut and you can do nothing but gape at him, watching his face slowly turn from pink to beet red. You've suddenly lost all ability to even crack a joke. Bolin takes this opportunity to steel himself and go on.  
"I was even more of a mess after you left than after Opal. Just ask Mako. I thought I'd get over it after you came back, but...I couldn't get you out of my head," he says softly. You've never seen him look this serious in your life. All traces of mischief and laughter are gone from his earnest green eyes. "I was acting stupid because I felt guilty after liking you, even right after breaking up with Opal. I guess what I'm trying to say is..." he takes a deep breath and drops his hands to his sides. You feel shudders of anticipation run through you, knowing what he's going to say next is going to be pretty huge.  
"Toki, I really like you. I have for a long time now, and I know things are a little complicated, but I really needed to say that."  
He glances up, looking frightened at what your response will be. Your brain is going into overdrive as you collapse into a chair and frantically try to process this.  
"Tokiko?" Bolin says, panicking. "Do you need some water or something?"  
"No, no—I'm fine," you say, and take a long breath to calm yourself. It takes a while for you to trust yourself to speak; too many emotions are coursing through you. "I'm just a little overwhelmed," you say finally. "Bolin, this is all really sweet and you were brave to come up and pour your heart out like that. But so many things are happening all at once...like the match. It's coming up in less than a month and I'm freaking out over that already. I don't think I'm ready for a relationship just yet."  
Bolin blinks, the sudden vulnerability on his face almost snapping your heart in two.  
"No, don't get me wrong, I do like you. A lot," you say honestly, feeling a hot blush creeping up your neck as you finally admit it. "I just don't want to rush into things, you know? I mean, we're both impulsive and young and all that jazz. Can we let things cool down a little and take one life-changing decision at a time?"  
Bolin's eyes are distant, his brow furrowed as he processes your words. You're starting to get a little concerned until he surprises you by smiling straight at you, something you haven't seen in a while.  
"Have I ever told you how much more attractive you are when you get all responsible?" he says, waggling his eyebrows.  
"Yes, I'm sure I was smoking hot when I was holding that bucket for you to puke your guts into," you respond dryly.  
Bolin finally laughs, and the familiar sound combined with the returning sparkle in his eye is enough to make you jump up and encase him in a bear hug. He doesn't hesitate to hug back, and this time you don't complain when he all but crushes you in his enthusiasm.  
"I guess I need to get going," Bolin says when he finally releases you. "It's pretty late, and I need you to be bright and early at training tomorrow."  
"Sure, Sifu," you tease. "Thanks for the flowers, by the way. They're beautiful."  
"My pleasure. Come on, Pabu!" Bolin calls for his fire ferret, who leaps out of the bouquet and onto his shoulder, curling up like he belongs there.  
He turns as if to leave, but suddenly remembers something and faces you again. "Oh, and Toki...don't overwork yourself."  
"What makes you think—?"  
"I know you; when you commit to a task, you obsess over it. Take a break every once in a while. You'll be fine," he says with a warm smile.  
You reach up and tweak the curl on his forehead, a familiar gesture from when you were kids. He sticks out his lower lip at the weird corkscrew you make with it. "All right, all right," you laugh. "Don't worry so much about me."  
"I'm just making sure," he says, carefully pulling the curl back to its original shape. "I'll see you tomorrow, then?"  
"Count on it."  
He winks at you just before he leaves and with that simple gesture, your stomach erupts in butterflies. Even when he's long gone down the corridor, you stand against the door with a stupid expression on your face. _Tui and La, I've got it bad. _


End file.
